February 2021 Hannah Elizabeth Jones Biomarble

 

We had a real treat this Saturday when Hannah Elizabeth Jones gave us a talk on her Biomarble Fabrics.

She gave a super talk which was both fascinating and thought provoking. Currently doing a PHD in

Manchester, Hannah began experimenting with waste products as a student, starting with installations

created from rubbish collected in Rusholme. She then collected waste paper from Manchester School of Art to make large, thick pieces of paper, dyed with food dyes.

Keeping a diary helped to improve her techniques to develop a paper with bubbly patterns to create Biomarble, for which she now has the patent.

 

 

She makes large sheets which are cut into geometric shapes which are then stitched together to produce sizeable installations

 

Hannah is particularly concerned with authentic sustainability and stepping away from synthetics. She keeps meticulous sketchpads

 

 

and has experimented with local plants for dyeing. She uses no mordants, preferring to let colours change in the sunlight.

She has worked with Bentley with a view to using layers of Biomarble as an alternative dashboard material, and as part of her PHD, she is working on the science of naturally waterproofing Biomarble.

 

We look forward to following the progress of this exciting development

 

Much more information on Hannah’s website:

https://www.hannahelisabethjones.co.uk/

https://www.materialsource.co.uk/damaged-materials-do-not-always-need-replacing-materials-can-become-more-beautiful-as-they-degrade/

 

Text: Liz Carrington

Pics: Hannah Jones