Bulrush fibres, seeds (Typha latifolia) Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) Wool
Variable sizes
Thesis supervisor: Eeva Berglund.
Advisors: Anna van der Lei & Ena Naito
2024-2025
The Ciénegas del Lerma represents thelargest wetland in Mexico’s central plateau,of which only 11% remains after 170 yearsof systematic anthropogenic activities. Industrial pollution and water extraction have threatened the species that inhabit the lagoons as well as centuries-old traditions of bulrush weaving. Local artisans now consider bulrush (Typha latifolia) useless for weaving their crafts, as ecosystem deterioration has affected the aquatic plants of the Lerma wetlands, but these continue to expand, becoming an invasive species.
Reductio ad lermaense functions as a critical design artifact inspired by the region’s traditional crafts, but reinterpreted by creating a bio-based material derived from bulrush. The result is a collection of three bagsthat reflect the decline in the Lerma wetlands between 1870 and 2025. The project seeks to transform notions of the plant’s uselessness into a leather-like biomaterial, demonstrating how invasive species can be transformed into valuable resources