One person’s trash is another’s treasure? That seems to be the case for designer Lulu Harrison, who has recently won the prestigious Ralph Saltzman Prize for her innovative glass artifact project.
Using collected waste shells, wood, and bracken found in the River Thames, Harrison worked with glassblowers to turn this waste into beautiful glass objects.
The work will be shown at the Design Museum in London this fall, and showcases the way that quagga mussel shells, which normally cause water pipe blockages, can instead be turned into artistic vessels, tiles, and more.
Harrison’s research into sustainable materials has sparked the interest of other designers and artisans.
See more about her process on her website.
Images © Copyright Lulu Harrison, photography by Ben Turner.
Throughout her work, Lulu is interested in finding alternatives to the highly processed and unsustainable materials often used in glass making and creating geo-specific glass from materials which are distinctive to a certain area.
By incorporating 21st-century waste materials into glass making, these unique collections represent the idea of Future Archaeology and rethinking the way we view glass, and waste today.
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