OXMAN's Vigils project cultivates color on textiles using bacterial pigmentation instead of synthetic dyes
By
thomai tsimpou I designboom
Summary
OXMAN's Vigils project explores a novel textile dyeing process where pigmented bacteria grow directly on fabric surfaces, producing color through biological activity rather than synthetic chemical dyes. This approach reimagines color as an inherent, living property of the material rather than an applied finish. The work extends the studio's two-decade investigation into manufacturing with living systems, spanning from bacterial pigments to biodegradable footwear, and addresses the significant environmental costs of conventional textile dyeing and finishing.
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Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe project imagines color not as a finish added at the end of production, but as something that lives and grows within the material from the start.
OXMAN explores whether color can be cultivated rather than applied.
The idea draws inspiration from natural systems where color emerges through biological activity.
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