Portuguese Designer Margarida Lopes Pereira Transforms Discarded Foam into Sculptural Works

Margarida Lopes Pereira, a Lisbon-based designer born in 1991, creates sculptural objects using reclaimed upholstery foam. Her practice focuses on upcycling discarded foam from furniture and industrial sources into tactile, collectible pieces that blend design and art. Lopes Pereira's work emphasizes material transformation through techniques like cutting, layering, and visible hand-stitching, challenging conventional perceptions of waste and sustainability. She also conducts workshops on foam upcycling, promoting accessible techniques. Her approach offers a sensorial alternative to sustainable design, elevating overlooked materials into expressive objects.