A Living Archive: Mother of Pearl
This research project explores 螺鈿 / Mother of Pearl, as both a cultural surface and a living material archive, mapping its historical, ecological, and symbolic evolution across the South China Sea region. From decorative craft traditions to oceanic trade, Mother Of Pearl embodies complex interrelations between ornamentation, labor, and marine environments. Drawing from museum artifacts, field interviews, and scientific collaborations, the project ttraces how its iridescent structure holds both memory and method. Looking ahead, the project investigates how the microstructures of seashell nacre can inform new approaches to material innovation. It examines how naturally occurring structural color may be applied to future design systems that avoid chemical dyes and pigments. This research offers an alternative logic for visual expression based on built-in, responsive material behaviours.
This research project explores 螺鈿 / Mother of Pearl, as both a cultural surface and a living material archive, mapping its historical, ecological, and symbolic evolution across the South China Sea region. From decorative craft traditions to oceanic trade, Mother Of Pearl embodies complex interrelations between ornamentation, labor, and marine environments. Drawing from museum artifacts, field interviews, and scientific collaborations, the project ttraces how its iridescent structure holds both memory and method. Looking ahead, the project investigates how the microstructures of seashell nacre can inform new approaches to material innovation. It examines how naturally occurring structural color may be applied to future design systems that avoid chemical dyes and pigments. This research offers an alternative logic for visual expression based on built-in, responsive material behaviours.
- 2025
- Grantee: Scarlett Yang
Scarlett Yang is a London-based researcher and creative technology director whose work explores the intersections of material intelligence, ecological thinking, and systems innovation. With a dual academic background in design and engineering from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, she investigates how future-facing narratives and environmental logics can reshape design culture.
Her research practice is collaborative and cross-disciplinary, combining critical inquiry with experimental methods to engage with broader questions of transformation, temporality, and planetary change. As a recipient for awards such as the LVMH Green Trail Award and The Mills Sustainability Award, her work has been presented at institutions including the Victoria & Albert Museum, Somerset House, and the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile.
Scarlett is also part of the UK Design Council’s expert network, contributing to strategic discourse on design futures, and frequently collaborates with public programmes, curatorial platforms, and cultural research initiatives.