Helen Russell Link How we tackle anthropocentric impact by investing meaning into objects

IMAGE: Broken stoneware ceramic pieces mended and remodelled to form a wildlife perch
IMAGE: Giving back - how small acts of kindness can affect the bigger picture
IMAGE: Wabi-sabi - 'earthy, simple, unpretentious, natural materials'
IMAGE: Formal abstraction of nature

As designers in a contemporary landscape, we often hold convenience, ease and cost efficiency as a priority throughout the design process. Within a ‘throw-away’ society, we see our belongings as disposable, shifting our toxicity onto other, underprivileged groups in the waste cycle.  We often approach design on an anthropocentric basis, for example exploiting materials and harmful processes, placing ourselves in a position of omnipotence as creators. We should, instead, take advantage of the ability to mend and repair, finding new ways to reinvest meaning into our possessions and finding new functions. Through the investigation of Anthropos concepts, I have explored low-waste techniques and materials to create my own object, using organic substances and recycled media, in order to communicate the importance of small acts of human kindness and how this impacts the bigger environmental picture. 

Experience:

Being HUMAN 2021/22