I’ve been working on the fruit pulp material for a very long time. I’ve been experimenting with different drying times at different temperatures as well as different recipe combinations. In the beginning, I worked with the fruit pulp while it was still wet, and I wasn’t completely happy with these materials. The best combinations I’ve found to incorporate the fruit pulp into the biomaterial were after drying and crushing the fruit pulp material. Below is an image of the fruit pulp after drying and crushing the material. Discovering what recipe worked for what I wanted to create was super fun. Even with the samples that didn’t completely come out how I envisioned, I would reflect on the process and find a solution or change for the next experimentation.
I’ve included my key experimentations of the fruit pulp biomaterial. I’ve started collecting and keeping the materials in a portfolio to see how each combination ages and withstands. For part of my exhibition, I want to showcase this evolution of how I started to understand the material I was working with, including these examples as a reference. The exhibition is going to focus on the tactile elements, so being able to see and be in the same presence as the material is very important for the premise. I’m really happy with my final recipe for my biomaterials. In my sketchbook, I have considered how I want to construct my final outcome, and instead of creating large sheets of the materials, I’m going to shape the biomaterials into small circle moulds during the drying period to add texture to my garments. Working in the food service industry has impacted my perspective of waste as the food and produce waste from a restaurant is very concerning but normalised. To move further with my biomaterials, I’m going to start working on materials that are wasted daily in the franchise. I think the next waste product I’m going to focus on is used coffee beans. Throughout the experimentations, I did get frustrated when the product wasn’t how I envisioned, but what motivated me was perfecting the recipe and growing to understand how the ingredients affect the final product.