Process

Ideation

1. The female body
2. Zena Holloway
3. The Giants Causeway
4. Collar piece Designs made by ai
5. Shoulder piece Designs made by ai

Inspirations

! inspo

Growing roots

Beyond roots: exploring the aerial layer

In addition to wheatgrass root systems, I experimented with chia and flax seeds to investigate their behaviour as surface-growing materials.

Unlike structural root mats, these seeds:

• Germinate rapidly with only water
• Adhere naturally to fabric due to their gel coating
• Grow directly on textiles without soil
• Create a living, aerial layer rather than a dense structural base

What this revealed

• Textiles can act as growth substrates, not just support structures
• Adhesion can occur biologically, without stitching or glue

This experiment shifts the focus from root-binding to plant-fabric symbiosis, where growth itself becomes the attachment mechanism.

Making a biomaterial out of grass

Grass, Starch paste, Flaxseed gel, Glycerinext by Amber O'Kelly

Making grass paper

Paper making with grass by Amber O'Kelly

Creating symbioses between walls

• Measuring the bio- electrons in wheatgrass roots, translating this into a vibration motor. For people then to touch the grounding mat (mat made of wheatgrass) and for people to "feel the ground" while inside walls.

Symbiosis by Amber O'Kelly

The grounding mat

From field to fiber

Turning paper into a fabric

From field to fiber by Amber O'Kelly