Natsai Audrey Chieza and the Biodesign Movement

Natsai Audrey Chieza, a designer and founder of the biodesign agency Faber Futures, is a leading figure in the biodesign movement, which integrates living organisms like bacteria into new materials, products, and art. Born in Zimbabwe and moving to the UK at 17, Chieza's work exemplifies the fusion of design and science. Nearly a decade ago, her team discovered that a pigment-producing microbe could be used to dye fabrics, creating colors ranging from pink to blue depending on pH, and producing effects like tie-dye. This technique uses 500 times less water than standard dyeing processes and eliminates harmful chemicals. The textile industry consumes between 6 and 9 trillion liters of water annually for dyeing alone, with wastewater often dumped into rivers in parts of India, Bangladesh, and China, causing ecosystem damage. Chieza's approach positions nature at the center of design, emphasizing responsibility for materials, production, distribution, and disposal. Faber Futures continues to develop applications that interact positively with nature, harking back to pre-synthetic dyeing methods. Stefano Pasotti, author of the article, is a designer and professor of materials technology at Istituto d'Arte Applicata e Design di Bologna and Libera Accademia delle Belle Arti di Brescia.