Photosynthetic Murals are interconnected, non-linear material systems inspired by the structure of rhizomes — root-like networks that spread horizontally without a single point of origin or hierarchy. Created through a transdisciplinary approach, these textiles merge ancestral Croatian glassmaking and quilting traditions with algae-based carbon fibres, biotechnology, and ecological design — transforming atmospheric carbon into living, responsive materials that grow, adapt, and repair themselves over time.
My first sculptural piece in this biomaterial was a problem child — constantly breaking, twisting, and bending with a will of its own, once shattering entirely from an unexpected gust of wind. The endless repair work became the practice itself: suddenly I was involved in healing, caring, and expressing hope. Inspired by my late grandmother Eve, a fibre-art master who believed everything broken can be fixed with a needle and thread, I left the scars visible as symbols of defiance and resilience. Growing up, I watched her work from behind her tapestries — a messy place where knots, joins, and errors remained visible. She said the back was where the truth lived.
