Yi Hsuan Sung

I am a textile maker and decorator who consciously integrates science and technology into art and design, and a textile designer who dedicates to healthy and sustainable solutions. Through my work, I want to transform textile making into a truly sustainable future that is nature-based and eco-friendly; a system that is unhurried by seasonal trends, and one that is harm-free, slow and mindful. By taking advantage of modern technology and global collaborations, I believe that the primary task of our generation is to care for the wellbeing of our planet. People must reconnect and commune with nature, share love and caring among all species, and find the perfect balance that underlies nature’s creations.

Agar Textiles
The exploration between bio, digital and recycled fabrication.

As an artist and designer who reflects on the way manufacturers produce faux flowers for interior and fashion decoration nowadays, I question why the desire to bring nature into our life ended up with bringing more petrochemicals to our surroundings. The domination of plastics as the main materials for artificial plants has been an unwanted and ironic truth for a true nature pursuer. My mission is to provide a more natural alternative, but affordable, for friends who need a touch of long-lasting and easy-to-care joyful plants for their space. I delved deeply into materials research involving agar and the upcycling of waste materials. With an eye on sustainability and a desire to impact the world through materials innovation, I innovated a faux flower making system with agar for interior and fashion embellishing. With 3D printed molds, I was able to create vivid silhouettes, structures and textures informed by nature at ease.

While I experimented and perfected the material development with agar as the primary polymer and repurposed food waste to produce dyes (to color the agar), I also created different methods to produce agar yarn, agar fabric and agar embellishments, and demonstrated several new systems for making modular textiles that could be fashioned into garments and interior textiles. The highlight all these agar textiles is that they are completely biodegradable and will not harm the environment- neither in their production process, nor in their disposal. I resolve to innovate, co-create, consume, recycle, repurpose and discard textiles with awareness.

Instagram - @yihsuan_sung
Website - yihsuansung.com
Email - yihsuansung7079@gmail.com