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MaDe Participant
Name

Clara Souza Bartholomeu

Material
Smoked Fur
Nationality
Brazilian
Classification
Vegetable
Workshop
Milan
Category
Industry
Profile

A hands-on approach to exploring the world has led her to grow fond of various techniques such as weaving, sewing, woodworking and painting as a child. Chooses to pursue a Bachelor degree in Design at University of São Paulo (Brazil) and a Master in Integrated Product Design degree at Politecnico di Milano, in Italy. In the meanwhile, learns about the world of academic research that supports her creative experimentations.

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Project Information
Material Qualities
Color: Golden/Brown
Soft / hard: Soft
Shiny / matt: Matt
Smells: Like cigarette/smoke
Texture: Felt like
Others: Flexible, sound and heat insulating, fire resistant
and pesticide (the nicotine scares ticks and mite).
Material Recipe
Cigarette filters
Piece of synthetic tulle of aprox. 15 x 15 cm
1 tb spoon of corn starch
1 tb spoon of vinegar
3 tb spoons of water
Material Application
- Wall panels
- Pet collars
- Protective tapestry/home decoration
- Clothing
- Outdoor/camping gear
Material Narrative
The Smoked Fur comes from the wish to recycle cigarette buds that we see on the streets everyday and that often
don’t come back in circulation as recycled plastic for example. As a study from St Andrews University demonstrates, sparrows use filters to protect their nests as they
are full of nicotin, a natural pesticide. Why shouldn’t we find new uses for it? The result is a vey interesting texturized textile that bears some similarity with fur, what in the past (and until today in many places) was considered a luxury material. The irony provoques mixed feelings about the origin of the material: it is beautiful but comes from an “ichy” source.
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MaDe, a project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of The European Union, aims at boosting talents towards circular economies across Europe partnering with design and cultural institutions, Elisava, Ma-tt-er and Politecnico di Milano.

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