THE AGE OF TRICHOLOGY

BY SANNE VISSER

NETHERLANDS 2016

WHAT SUBSTITUTE MATERIALS CAN WE SAFELY USE IN OUR OCEANS?

Abandoned and broken fishing lines account for much of the plastic in the ocean. The Age of Trichology explores leftover human hair as a sustainable alternative to the plastic used in fishing nets. Hair is lightweight, flexible, absorbs oil and insulates well. It’s natural and continually produced. It is one of the few natural resources that doesn’t require extra water, land, or energy to ‘grow’ the material.

The artist collects waste hair from London salons, then collaborates with traditional artisans to craft the final products. The fishing net and lobster pot are the first prototypes, and a human hair ‘mussel rope’, used to collect and grow mussels, is now being tested off the coast of Wales.

This is part of a larger project that explores potential applications for recycled hair waste in material and product design. It is rooted in traditional craft practices, and is a collaboration between spinners, ropemakers, and textile workers. Sanne’s main interest as a designer is in material innovation, sustainability and future thinking.

About

Sanne Visser is a Dutch designer who works and lives in London, UK. A material explorer and maker, she graduated with an MA in Material Futures from Central Saint Martins in 2016. Her main interests are material innovation, sustainability and future thinking. The production process is highly important in her work, where craft meets innovation and system design. In her work, Sanne aims to take on the research process in collaboration with other professionals across different fields, including the fishing, textile and hair industry. Though she is already working with numerous researchers and experts, Sanne is still seeking further collaborators and investors to take it to the next level.

CONNECT

Website: sannevisser.com

Instagram: @studiosannevisser