Our 6 picks from Isola’s exhibition at London Design Festival 2023

Utilizing regenerative resources, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and repurposing waste materials with a conscious circular design approach – Isola expanded its borders by taking part in Material Matters at the London Design Festival 2023 from September 20th to 23rd.

Isola is a digital and physical platform bringing visibility to independent designers and design studios by connecting them to design companies, professionals, curators, journalists and potential clients. 

Hosted in the iconic five story Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s Southbank, the Material Matters fair showcased Isola’s exhibition “Nothing Happens if Nothing Happens” – marking a significant milestone in their international expansion.

With DesignWanted being the Media Partner – come explore our favorite innovative sustainable picks from Crispy by Alara Sipahioglu to Growing up, I never wanted to be an office chair by Byron Clark, Scene by DONÓ, Flare by Céverine Girard, Wall No.I by Zeynep Boyan and Sentry Lamp by Ultramar!

Crispy by Alara Sipahioglu 

An intriguing project transforming non-recyclable crisp packets into a collection of serving bowls crafted entirely from deconstructed post-consumer packaging – Central Saint Martins graduate Alara Sipahioglu introduces Crispy. 

Crisps are an integral part of British culture with the UK being the third-highest consumer of salty snacks worldwide – consuming 6 billion packets of crisps annually. Did you know that?

However due to the high salt and oil content in crisps the packaging requires a high-tech multilayered polymer structure that’s difficult to recycle and is not currently accepted in home recycling. Instead – the current fate of this type of packaging is incineration, landfill or littering the environment.

In today’s conscientious era where the push is to minimize single-use plastics or increase recycling, this particular type of packaging tends to be overlooked or its underlying issues remain largely unnoticed.

A creative designer-engineer focused on circularity in design with a multidisciplinary approach – with Crispy, Sipahioglu showcases the potential of recycling complex plastics and circular design by giving a new life to non-recyclable crisp packets, transforming them into serving bowls that hold crisps once again.

It addresses these challenges by salvaging difficult-to-recycle plastic packaging and recycling each material used separately. 

“Through a specialized separation process, each crisp packet is delaminated into four distinct materials – two PP films, a metallic PET film, and ink. This transformation not only prevents these packets from becoming environmental hazards but also demonstrates the potential for recycling this type of unreclaimed plastic!” explains Sipahioglu.

Growing up, I never wanted to be an office chair by Byron Clark

Offering an unexpectedly playful perspective – Growing up, I never wanted to be an office chair by Byron Clark exists to challenge the monotony of conventional seating design.

Its aesthetic intention is to evoke the silliness within everyone and allow users to uncover a sense of childlike fun.

There’s a deeper meaning to the piece – it’s been designed to be constructed entirely from materials that have been deemed waste, specific to the locality of London. 

From timber off-cuts to fabric offcuts “I intend to dismantle preconceptions regarding the value of waste streams as a material source and uncover a new appreciation. My motivation lies in my determination to evoke a playful message, whilst also conveying a clear indication of the responsibility designers and makers have to the planet during the process of being creative!” shares Clark.

Scene by DONÓ

Celebrating the plurality of existence and being as the authentic self, outside the norms – the N1 and N2 stool are part of the Scene collection released by Brazil-based DONÓ design studio by Daniele Quiarella and Debora Baptista. 

With a focus on traditional woodworking, to gradually immerse themselves in a universe with experimental and expressive artistic narratives – each piece is built with color, volume and geometric shapes blending art and design.

“We sought the surreal balance between the maxi and the delicate for functional objects, keeping in mind how they will affect both the space and the user emotionally!” says DONÓ.

Every product is one-of-a-kind and goes through several manual processes until the final finish – they’re made with high quality materials and have no expiration date, designed to last for generations. 

“Scene is a sculptural celebration, it’s a flirtation and a proposal of lightness, with less seriousness in the compositions and decorations. It’s a rescue to art, it’s impactful! Daniele explains. 

Playing with proportions of wood and sharing its role with steel – “the aim is to awaken the senses and positive feelings, causing sensory stimuli from the different textures in the materials, repetitions, colors and dimensions present!” adds Debora.

Flare by Céverine Girard

Flare by Céverine Girard is a wall hanging light sculpture that explores and revitalizes the ancestral use of palm leaf basketry by applying it to a modern object.

Its dome-shaped ribbon embraces the strong yet pliable properties of the material to create a unique form without the use of structural elements – where every curve and loop has been  meticulously handcrafted to create a functional yet contemplative piece of art.

The form is the result of the designer’s dialogue with the material, its functional and sensual aspect, the ability to create volumes and interact with light. 

As for the color, it’s obtained without dyes – a completely raw finish that emphasizes the subtle shades and texture variety.

“My creative process further involves time, where the durability of the piece and its ability to beautifully age over time is a considered part of the design!” shares Girard.

Flare’s aesthetic expression is entirely defined by how the woven material curves around an illuminated core and gives it a floating appearance, like frozen in time. It’s essential for people to be able to look and feel the piece to really comprehend its dimensionality.

Wall No.I by Zeynep Boyan

Wall No.I by Montréal-based Zeynep Boyan is an abstract sculpture that can effortlessly be converted into a functional lighting fixture by simply connecting a lighting cord to its inner structure, if desired.

A self-taught artist and designer – she works with clay as her primary material and creates abstract and biomorphic sculptures, furniture and functional pieces all sculpted by hand with an utmost attention to intricate detail. 

Her sculptures are characterized by their strong emphasis on materials, texture and form. Meanwhile, her functional pieces aim to showcase the beauty of everyday objects and foster a deeper connection between people and the objects that inhabit their daily lives. 

Through her work, she explores the themes of – identity, connection and belonging by analyzing the relationship between objects, spaces and materials.

Additionally, with an intention to increase longevity and achieve a natural finish, she further utilizes terracotta stoneware clay as a medium in Wall No.I. 

“Each eclectic piece is carefully sculpted, crafted and finished by hand in Montreal using mixed techniques!” says Boyan.

Sentry Lamp by Ultramar 

Inspired by the desert guardian in many fictional worlds, embodying an aura of mystique and protection – the Sentry Lamp by Ewan Lamm of Ultramar is a part of the Symposium of Gods and Spirits collection.

Born and raised in Hong Kong and having lived in London for nearly a decade – Lamm embraces the amalgamation of the cultures from the East and the West, finding inspiration in both realms for his design pieces.

He found his passion for telling tales and exploring spirituality through the medium of furniture objects. Taking cues from the enigmatic Shai-Hulud, this lamp is offered in two distinct colorways, each capturing a unique ambiance. 

The Night Black body, coupled with the dusky red diffuser, evokes the serene evenings amidst the undulating dunes, where tranquility prevails. 

On the other hand, the Daybreak White finish, adorned with a Dawn Orange diffuser, symbolizes the hopeful mornings in the expansive ocean of sand, promising new beginnings. The body of this lamp is made by SLA resin printing – a technology that allows translucent parts with intricate structure to be formed.

“The Sentry Lamp serves not only as a functional lighting piece but also as an artistic homage to the mythical desert guardian, showcasing its influence and power in a tangible and captivating way!” explains Lamm.