2. Digital bodies¶

Research & Ideation¶

Playing with images and the body - a visual and technical approach to the body

Playful laser-cut textiles that play with images and the body during SS25 show from STAFF ONLY in Shangai.

Official images from SS25 show of STAFF ONLY.

My favourite alumni page for week 02 :

* Advanced slicing combined with a shape - [Dima Hejap](https://class.textile-academy.org/2025/dima-hejap/assignments/week02/)

She gave me the idea to go further with the slices and design inside of them.

References & Inspiration¶

I am more inspired by imperfect materials, so I created my own cardboard mixed with textiles at the Green Fabric Lab.

Features : very lightweight, uneven surface, 5 sheets 26x26cm because otherwise it would not fit inside the dehydrator.

It's really soft and gentle materials that inspire me. Cardboard and plexiglass felt very cold and too perfect too me. Designs will already be cut perfecly thanks to the laser so I needed to add an element that counterbalances the burnt straight lines of the laser.

Tools¶

- [TinyPNG](https://tinypng.com/)
- [3d scan online](https://hyper3d.ai/MeshEditor)
- [Mesh repair with lab 3D scanner software](http://class.textile-academy.org)
- [Layers and touch ups](Illustrator)
- [Slicer for Fusion]
- [Laser cutting machine] (Beam Studio)
- [3d Model with MakeHuman](http://www.makehumancommunity.org/content/downloads.html)

Process and workflow¶

Down below you will find each step of the process to print my own bust in 3D.

I - Scanning and repairing¶

We went to another fab lab in Brussels to scan our body parts. I chose to do my bust¹.

My head is flat because the scanner did not go scan the top of my head very well. It gave an Ancient Greek look, which I liked so I did not modify it.

II - Manipulating 3D mesh, slicing it and printing it ²¶

I wanted to draw tribal signs inside slices. Result : slices were not strong enough because of my soft material.

Here is the material test of my material sheet:

This time I wanted to make a stronger construction by combining cardboard and my own material

Result: the width was not the same and made it difficult to put together Bonus: I also wanted to implement playful features such as trompe-l'oeil aesthetic with check pattern and same colour palette as my material but it did not look as good as expected.

III - Final photos¶

IV - Final Reflection¶

This project has taught me to be daring with materials and how to cut them with the laser cutter. In fact one solution to cut my material better would have been to lift the tray higher and cut a second time without moving the sheet of course.

In terms of expectations vs reality, I learnt that one week is short to come up with a good looking result (even though I made the experiment twice this week), so I will best focus on technical details of the tools for the upcoming weeks rather than beautiful results.

I also want to document my process better. I will make a template that I can fill in so that it's easier to code by the end of the week.

Fabricademy is a journey, not a destination.

Fabrication files¶

File: 3d modelling of mannequin ↩
File: Laser cut sheets ↩