In conversation with experimental designer Marlène Huissoud
Marlène Huissoud is a visionary experimental designer whose work transcends the traditional boundaries between art and design. A graduate of Central Saint Martins’ School of Art and Design in London, she first gained recognition with her groundbreaking project, From Insects, which explored the potential of materials derived from honeybees and silkworms. Huissoud’s practice is a testament to her deep commitment to questioning the role of design in modern society and how we interact with natural resources. Her creations invite reflection on our impact on the environment, challenging conventional approaches to material use while highlighting the delicate balance between human intervention and the natural world.
Throughout her career, Marlène Huissoud has earned acclaim for her ability to fuse ecological awareness with avant-garde design. Named one of the UK’s top 70 rising stars in design by the Design Council, her work has garnered numerous prestigious awards, including the AI Global Excellence Award for Most Innovative Experimental Artist in 2018. By blending nature’s inherent disorder with human creativity, Huissoud pushes the boundaries of ethical design and asks provocative questions about our place in the world. Each piece she creates is not just a design object but a statement, encouraging us to reconsider how we shape and are shaped by the environment around us.
Thank you Marlène Huissoud, for taking the time in sharing your knowledge with us regarding your immaculate artistry. As an innovative designer and visionary, how would you define your specific style or aesthetic?
Thank you for the interview. I would say everything is very intuitive in my practice. I don’t predict things too much, the materials are really guiding my style and aesthetic. I make very abstract drawings of the piece before starting working on it, and it is at the end, when we finish the piece, that I will generally make a model as a memory of the piece. The pieces look alive as they are!
You are an artist that experiments in finding the ethical ground in which design can blossom. What are your critiques of current design practices and how do you respond to those in your work?
I would say that like every artists and designers that I know my ethical ground is evolving days by days but I have always been very critical of our surroundings. I see my work in two parts, one which is more material based which wants to empathise the presence of insectes by celebrating their importances. And one which is more a direct answer to our loss of biodiversity, where I try to give space back to other species.
We are in awe at the pieces of your art displayed amongst nature. What sort of connection is there between the naturally occurring and placing the work of your hands in the same context?
It is alive. It is not there anymore to make a statement but it is adding a new vision and connexion to the world of nature. The pieces live outside, they age, they answer the nature circle and they host the life of insects.
Your project “Mama” is profound and deeply breathtaking. You named it after becoming a mother yourself and also with the passing of your own mother in mind. What could be said about the role of birth and death when it comes to the symbolism of motherhood from this project?
‘Mama’ was a very special moment in my career. There was a lot of things happening in my life at the same time, so I had to give birth to this very organic sculpture in a way. It was meant to be. It was a very powerful moment from A to B. There was something as well very spiritual about meeting the mayan bees, they are sacred and needed to be celebrated. The mayan bees are the symbolism of Mother Nature so this project resonated in all its aspect with the loss of my mother and the birth of my daughter. Very emotional and special moment…
What is your stance on utilizing design and art to care about the planet we live on and the people we surround ourselves with? How does this impact differently then, say, a presentation about climate change or a commercial about endangered species?
I think it is crucial today to do it. But I would like to say that it has to be ethical with your practice. To me, the most important thing to respect in your role as a designer and artist is to be authentic, it is a work of values. What you project in the artwork has to be pure and connect people and/or other species. There is so much greenwashing at the moment, I hope that this will disappear and that everything will be more aligned with the true objective of design and life in general.
Marlène Huissoud: https://www.marlene-huissoud.com/
