Forming Silk I - Smart Materials

Beginning with an interest in the tactile and emotional qualities of natural fibers, the research shifted toward understanding material behavior and structural interaction. Through experiments with silk and wool, the project explores how the intrinsic properties of natural materials can be activated through weaving to generate form. 

Experiments focused on material behavior and yarn liveliness within different weaving structures, examining how variations in warp and weft spacing influence form. 

Materials are “smart,” maintaining balance within textile structures. When this balance is disrupted, they respond by activating intrinsic behaviors—such as yarn spiraling under excess twist, wool’s natural shrinkage and felting, and the controlled contraction of crepe silk yarns—allowing form to emerge through inherent material responsiveness or internal material tension.