Material Matters with Grant Gibson

Nicola Turner is a UK-based artist who is best known for her use of horsehair and wool in her extraordinary, and often quite dark, sculptures. She originally trained as a theatre designer – working for the likes of the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, and the Sydney Opera House – before doing a Fine Art MA in her fifties. Since then, her work has featured in a string of locations – most notably, the Courtyard at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2024. Currently, she has an installation at the chapel of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, as well as an upcoming exhibition at Annely Juda Fine Art in London’s Hanover Square. In this episode, we talk about: discovering horsehair in a skip; naming her YSP show after a Shakespeare sonnet; her interest in death; her cancer diagnosis; visiting an abattoir as a student; her mother’s background in upholstery; creating site responsive pieces and using her intuition; how people respond to her work; moving from theatre design into fine art; opening her own studio in Bath, making clothes as a child; why she still writes to her school art teacher; and not being afraid to work at scale. Support the show

Dublin-based architect John Tuomey first appeared on Material Matters in 2024 to talk about his brilliant memoir, First Quarter. Now he’s written the follow-up, unsurprisingly entitled, Middle Quarter. John is the co-founder of O’Donnell + Tuomey. He was the inaugural professor of Architectural Design at University College Dublin and visiting professor at Princeton, Harvard and Yale. Over the years, he has won numerous awards, including the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, and his practice is responsible for buildings such as V&A East, the Lyric Theatre Belfast, and the Glucksman Gallery in Cork. In this episode, he talks about: this year’s opening of V&A East; material as ‘tangible reality’ in architecture; why he wrote his new book (and why it isn’t a biography); being interested in mortality and melancholy; architecture and ‘endurance’; his relationship with his mother (and her friendship with actor Richard Harris); the purpose of poetry and the purpose of architecture; creating buildings with lasting value; being ‘lucky’ and working the way he wants; failure; the importance of music in his life; architecture as an ‘occasional art’; his inner drive; being drawn to the scared; oh... and telling Michael Graves to ‘fuck off’. You can buy the beautiful Middle Quarter here: https://shop.materialmatters.design/products/middle-quarter Support the show

What if the materials a building needs are already sitting in a skip down the road? Joel de Mowbray, founding director of Yes Make, joins Grant Gibson to explain how a regenerative design and build practice rescues high-quality construction materials from landfill — and builds a viable business around them. Earlier this year, Yes Make joined forces with interdisciplinary design collective Resolve Collective and architecture practice Material Cultures to launch Tipping Point East, a circular construction hub in east London that aims to divert tonnes of material from waste. In this episode, we dive into the practical realities of reuse in construction. We discuss: Tipping Point East : Founding a circular construction hub and what it takes to make reuse work at scale. Cooking with what's in the fridge : How Yes Make designs around the materials it already has, rather than specifying from scratch. Elton John's purple kitchen : The strange, brilliant afterlives of salvaged fixtures and fittings. The 'wild west' of industrial sites : Working on the edges of the construction industry, and building a studio from materials already to hand. The challenges of reuse : Why the industry still finds it easier to demolish than to recover. Public engagement : Why bringing people into the process is central to the practice. Joel also reflects on living on a former Dunkirk 'little ship', moving from Lambeth Council to start Yes Make, being a 'lost boy' growing up, why bike mechanics saved him, and how learning from — and working with — his father shapes the projects he takes on. And remember, Material Matters London runs from 15-17 September at UNLOCKED Shoreditch. It's free for trade but you must register in advance. You can find more information here: materialmatters.design/The-Fair New to the podcast? Head to materialmatters.design/podcast for our playlists — including 'Start Here', 'Design Icons' and our Material Focus collections on clay, timber, fibre and biomaterials. Explore more: Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences. Support the show

Welcome to another summer bonus episode of Material Matters with Grant Gibson, this time in association with Hyosung TNC. In this special episode, Grant talks to the South Korean company’s marketing and sustainability director, Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, about an intriguing new material the company is spending nearly $1bn to develop – a bio-based elastane (or spandex) that has the potential to revolutionise the clothing market. In this episode they discuss: the history of elastane and its ubiquity in the fashion industry; issues around the material and carbon emissions; how Hyosung TNC is looking to different solutions to reduce carbon; why the company is spending $1bn on an elastane made from sugar cane; building a new fully integrated production system in Vietnam; the importance of infrastructure and collaboration within the fashion world; traceability; how the new product performs and what other environments it could be used in; and the future of bio-based products. This episode has been sponsored by Hyosung TNC. For more information go to: https://www.hyosungtextile.com/en Support the show

Can algae reshape a global beauty brand's material future? In this special summer bonus episode — recorded live at Aesop's Copenhagen store during 3daysofdesign — Grant Gibson is joined by Rebecca Lawson, Aesop's head of sustainability, and multi-award-winning artist and designer Jessie French, founder of Melbourne-based studio Other Matter. In this episode, we dive into the collaboration between a heritage skincare brand and a pioneer of algae-derived polymers. We discuss: The Philosophy of Aesop: The history and ethos behind one of design's most-loved brands. Products with Purpose: Where sustainability sits inside the brand's DNA. Working with Algae: How Other Matter is turning a marine resource into a revolutionary material. Systems Design: Why the smartest sustainability is structural, not superficial. A Revolutionary Signage Film: The Aesop–French collaboration bringing algae into the built environment. Waste as Luxury: How Jessie is transforming her studio waste into a leather alternative. Rebecca and Jessie also reflect on why the two forces joined up in the first place, and where their partnership could go next. Explore more: Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences. This episode has been sponsored by Aesop. Support the show

Can a $21 window help a nation survive a war? Harry Blakiston Houston, founder of Insulate Ukraine , joins Grant Gibson for this landmark 150th episode to discuss how a simple double-layer window — made from PET and manufactured entirely in Ukraine — is helping families stay warm, creating local employment, and offering a sense of normality in a country shattered by Russia's invasion. In this episode, we dive into what 'material intelligence' looks like when designing under the most extreme constraints. We discuss: Cardboard to PET: How early cardboard prototypes evolved into a $21, locally-manufactured double-layer window. Trust, Innovation and Empathy: The values driving Insulate Ukraine's work, and why they matter in a crisis. Ukraine's Civic Heroes: Celebrating the people keeping the country running. An Unlikely Origin: How the death of the Queen helped lead to the founding of Insulate Ukraine. Designing Under Fire: The particular difficulty of R&D in the humanitarian aid sector, and building an installation system from scratch. Harry also reflects on day-to-day life in a war-torn country, working with whatever materials people had to hand, growing up in Northern Ireland, how Catholicism and boarding school shaped his thinking, and why he wants to rethink the development sector altogether. Find out more and donate at insulate-ukraine.org . Explore more: Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences. Support the show

Can imperfection reshape modern industry? Hella Jongerius — one of the most influential designers of her generation, and one of the field's sharpest critical voices — joins Grant Gibson to discuss craft, colour, and her enduring fascination with the messy edges of mass production. In this episode, we dive into the politics of materials and the discipline of long-term collaboration. We discuss: From Droog to Vitra: Emerging in 1993 alongside Jurgen Bey and Marcel Wanders, and what those early years taught her. Tough and Sweet: Developing her critical voice and taking aim at the design industry's obsession with newness and marketing. Materials Are Political: Why every choice of clay, textile or yarn carries weight. Avoiding the Path of Nostalgia: How to honour craft without retreating into it. Changing Industry from Within: Three decades of collaboration with Vitra, KLM, IKEA, Camper and Maharam. Colour as Communication: Why colour is a tool, not a decoration. Hella also reflects on her major retrospective at the Vitra Design Museum, running studios across the Netherlands and Germany, her fascination with animals, and exploring her spiritual side. Explore more: Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences. Support the show

Can a needle and thread mend more than fabric? Ceramic artist Leah Jensen joins Grant Gibson to discuss the radical pivot in her practice after a brain cancer diagnosis — and how stitching became a daily act of survival, documentation and repair. In this episode, we explore making as medicine and the quiet power of slow, analogue craft. We discuss: Renaissance Patterns : The unexpected art-historical roots of Leah's intricate, geometric ceramic surfaces. 'Anti-Digital' Making : Why she rejects screens and software in favour of the hand, the eye, and the hour-long stitch. The Brain Tumour Book : How embroidery became a diary of diagnosis, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy — exhibited this April at London's Fitzrovia Chapel with Cavaliero Finn. 'Sewing is an act of emotional repair' : Using thread — and her own hair — to process trauma, memory loss and identity. Return to Clay : Re-entering the ceramic studio after illness, and how the two mediums now speak to each other. Leah also reflects on collapsing behind a bar in the moment that changed everything, the role of her parents and partner in her recovery, and what making has taught her about being present. You can support The Brain Tumour Charity via the Brain Tumour Book fundraising page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/braintumourbookcharityfundraisingexhibition Explore more: Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences. Support the show

Can we actually recycle cigarette butts, dirty nappies, and coffee pods? Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle and the reuse platform Loop, joins Grant Gibson to reveal how 'Material Intelligence' can turn global rubbish into a viable business. In this episode, we dive into the economics of waste and the design of a circular future. We discuss: The ‘Milkman’ Model : How Loop is bringing back convenient reuse. Dirty Nappies & Chewing Gum : The tech behind recycling the ‘unrecyclable’. The Problem with Sandpaper : Why some materials remain a design flaw. Business of Rubbish : From a ‘worm poop’ startup to a global powerhouse. Politics & Sustainability : Building a green business in a shifting climate. Tom also reflects on his journey as a refugee, dropping out of Princeton, and why his office is permanently filled with trash. Explore more : Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences, and sign up to our newsletter for regular updates and insights on material intelligence. Support the show

Can a communication designer change the global conversation on rubbish? Sophie Thomas OBE—a rare blend of campaigner, chartered waste manager, and practicing designer—joins Grant Gibson to discuss her extraordinary, three-decade journey at the vanguard of sustainable design. In this episode, we explore how ‘material intelligence’ and circular design thinking can inform activism. We discuss: Graphic Activism : How design can move beyond ‘guilt’ to create real environmental change. Rubbish Tours : a life-changing trip to a Dutch recycling center and what happens when you take a thousand designers to a landfill site. Obsession with the Toothbrush : Why a simple, ubiquitous object exposes a global design flaw. The Future of Ink : Why Sophie’s future career is shifting back to the most fundamental graphic material. Sophie also reflects on starting her career at The Body Shop, working on the Earth Centre, and whether a designer can ever create without guilt. Explore more : Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences, and sign up to our newsletter for regular updates and insights on material intelligence. Support the show

Can a discarded pair of jeans become a luxury item? Anna Foster, founder of the sustainable fashion brand ELV Denim, has saved thousands of garments from landfill by proving that they can. She joins Grant Gibson to discuss how ‘material intelligence’ is redefined in the world of high fashion. In this episode, we dive into the complex water footprint of denim and the design of a regenerative fashion loop. We discuss: East London Vintage : How ELV is proving that ‘women are born to innovate.’ Radical Localism : Finding all her skilled makers within a three-mile radius of her studio. Rethinking Luxury : Value and desire in materials that other people reject. Expanding the Palette : Upcycling old hotel linens and expanding beyond denim. Anna also reflects on her 20-year career as a fashion editor and why she prefers her denim without stretch. Explore more : Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences, and sign up to our newsletter for regular updates and insights on material intelligence. Important fact check: Grant misread some of his statistics in this episode. We produce between 4.5 to 6 billion pairs of jeans a year and a pair of jeans uses 3,800 litres of water to produce. We’re happy to correct these errors. Support the show

Can seaweed eradicate single-use plastic? Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, co-founder of the award-winning packaging company Notpla, joins Grant Gibson to discuss the rapid rise of one of the world’s most exciting alternative materials. In this episode, we dive into the history of seaweed as a resource and the technology of material replacement. We discuss: The Earthshot Prize : How a student project in a kitchen won a global environmental award. The Perfect Replacement : Why seaweed is the ultimate regenerative substitute for plastic packaging. Ooho & The London Marathon : Using edible bubbles to eliminate thousands of plastic bottles. Scaling Up : Notpla's journey from a crowdfunding campaign to a global brand. Industry Resistance : The political challenges of replacing traditional plastic. Rodrigo also reflects on his early water balloon experiments in Hyde Park and why he almost became an architect. Explore more : Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences, and sign up to our newsletter for regular updates and insights on material intelligence. Support the show

Can a multi-disciplinary designer turn agricultural and industrial waste into raw materials for creativity? Shubhi Sachan, founder of the Material Library of India, joins Grant Gibson to discuss unlocking the potential in India's complex waste landscape. In this episode, we dive into the global and local impact of waste. We discuss: The Material Library of India : Establishing a new center for research in New Delhi in 2017. Waste Colonialism : Tackling the ethical dimensions of international textile waste. Reimagining Cotton : Why the crop needs to be completely rethought as climate-adaptive. Rejected Condom Streetwear : Turning manufacturing flaws into a radical new material collection. The Future of MLI : Reusing industrial materials in a capitalist world. Shubhi also reflects on opening a textile thrift store and why her family has questioned her path. Explore more : Visit materialmatters.design for more on our fairs and conferences, and sign up to our newsletter for regular updates and insights on material intelligence. Support the show

Carole Collet is professor in Design for Sustainable Futures at Central Saint Martins. She is also director of Maison/0, the CSM – LVMH creative platform for regenerative luxury and co-director of the Living Systems Lab, a research group at the same university. During 2000, she founded the Textile Futures course at CSM, which went on to become Material Futures and has spawned a string of brilliant students attempting to get to grips with some of the most important issues of the day. Several have appeared on this podcast. She is, in many respects, the grande dame of new materials thinking. In this episode we talk about: the two platforms she runs at CSM; how creativity can be a catalyst for regenerative luxury; what terms like bio- and regenerative design mean to her; working with UNESCO in Bolivia; creating lab-grown fur; plastic problems in the Philippines; her groundbreaking BIOLACE project; founding the Textile Futures MA and creating ‘disobedient’ design courses; a brief history of fast fashion; the magic of mycelium; growing up in the French countryside and working in her mother’s flower shop; becoming interested in ecology; and the importance of collaboration in her work. Support the show

This episode of Material Matters is as much about an object as it is a material. Tom Broughton is the founder of Cubitts, a modern spectacles company based in London’s Kings Cross. The company started in 2013 from his kitchen table and has grown to 20 stores across the UK and US, serving 250,000 customers across 100 countries. It offers frames in a number of materials – such as stainless steel and titanium – but is renowned for its use of acetate. According to the company’s website Cubitts was ‘founded to help more people live better lives through spectacles they proudly wear – and create a better, and more responsible, industry along the way.’ In this episode we talk about: how early Modernism influenced Cubitts; living in (and loving) the Isokon building; founding his company and ‘literally doing everything’; not having a business plan; the joy of acetate and how the material defines his brand; a brief history of spectacles and London’s making legacy; why he has a problem with the word ‘eyewear’; being prescribed glasses at the age of 14 and collecting vintage frames in his 20s; getting bored easily and enjoying failure; disrupting the optics industry; being 'unrelenting' and making sacrifices in his personal life; and having an addictive personality. Support the show

Brodie Neill is a Tasmanian-born but London-based furniture designer, who has made a name for himself by creating pieces from waste and reclaimed materials. In 2016, for example, he represented Australia at the inaugural London Design Biennale with his exhibition entitled, Plastic Effects. In it, he showcased the Gyro Table, with a top made of fragments of recycled ocean plastic that had been salvaged from beaches in places like Hawaii and Cornwall. Over the years, his furniture pieces have been made from dowels, reclaimed school floors, and wood found in some extraordinary places. He has also collaborated with brands such as Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz and Alexander McQueen, while his limited edition works feature in museums and galleries around the globe. In this episode, we talk about: why he found himself in the Antarctic earlier this year; sharing a ship with over 30 scientists; the new work that is emerging from the 'adventure of a lifetime'; how finding plastic on a Tasmanian beach proved a pivotal moment in his career; creating the iconic Gyro Table; how he collects ocean plastic; creating high end products from ‘underwater’ wood and old school floors; unleashing ‘material potential’; inheriting his grandfather’s tools; day dreaming at school; and why he needs to be near making. And remember the inaugural Assemble with Material Matters takes place on 20 November at the Bank of England Conference Centre. Tickets cost £175 (+ VAT) and are officially available until 6 November. To secure your place click here Support the show

James Fox wears a couple of hats. He is director of studies in History of Art at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and creative director of the Hugo Burge Foundation. As well as that he is a BAFTA-nominated broadcaster and an author with a brand new book out. Craftland: A Journey Through Britain's Lost Arts & Vanishing Trades is his journey through Britain to discover the craftspeople that literally make this island. En route he meets dry stone wallers, a rush weaver, a thatcher, a letter cutter and a watchmaker to name just a few. The book illustrates what we once had and what we could be in danger of losing, while also highlighting the importance of hand skill and materiality in a digital age. In this episode we talk about: why ‘craft’ remains a contentious word; craft as both a contemporary invention and an approach to life; the relationship between hand making and digital culture; how Fox discovered art as a child; bridging the divide between fine art and craft; the field’s ‘inherent diversity’; what the state could do to help makers; crafts potential role in the transition to Net Zero; why Craftland is ‘nostalgic for the present’; the importance of tacit knowledge; and why the future of making in Britain is bright. You can purchase a copy of Craftland here . The full programme for Assemble with Material Matters , our new one-day conference held at the Bank of England Conference Centre on 20 November, is available here . And you can secure your place at the conference here . If you love the podcast, you’ll adore the conference. Support the show

Bonnie Hvillum is a Danish designer and founder of Natural Material Studio, which, as the names suggests, makes its own materials using natural resources and various waste streams. Working at the meeting point between material science, art and design, the studio creates products, installations, exhibitions and research projects, working with clients such as adidas, Calvin Klein, Noma, Dinesen, Copenhagen Contemporary and the Danish Architecture Centre. Bonnie will also be part of Material Matters London, which takes place from 17-20 September at Space House, with her education platform focused on supporting curious creators who strive to craft a more holistic, local, and nature-minded future, The Material Way, which she runs with curator Rita Trindade. In this episode we talk about: being on maternity leave; founding Natural Material Studio and The Material Way; pushing the possibilities of materials; bonding history with the future… in a poetic way; casting textiles; her breakthrough moment; the craft behind her work; creating an interior you can melt; the importance of fluidity; ‘redefining wood’; studying Nordic literature at university; and being uncompromising but collaborative. Material Matters London runs from 17-20 September at Space House. Register here . And we’ve also opened a new on-line bookshop featuring many titles that have been talked about on this podcast. You can find that here . Support the show

Simon Terry is the brand and marketing director, as well as owner (or as he prefers to describe himself, custodian), of the lamp company, Anglepoise, a product that has genuine claims to iconic status. Initially designed by George Carwardine in the 1930s and manufactured by Herbert Terry & Sons, over the years, the product has been used by the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, David Lloyd George, Picasso, Roald Dahl and Barbara Hepworth to name just a few. More recently, Terry has collaborated with fashion figures such as Margaret Howell and Paul Smith, as well as writing a design manifesto which talks about the importance of durability and repair. Importantly, the company now offers a lifetime guarantee for all its products. Happily too, it will be showing prominently at this year’s Material Matters London – which runs from 17-20 September at Space House – celebrating the 90th anniversary of the 1227. In this episode we talk about: the pros and cons of running a family business; being ‘a small company with a big name’; how mistakes can lead to opportunities; his morning routine (which involves a spring); how the Anglepoise stays in perfect balance; the genius of George Carwardine; the product’s evolution; why the Terry family handed the US market to Luxo; joining the family firm and making huge changes; his background in movies; initially feeling out of his depth; working with the brilliant Sir Kenneth Grange to reinvigorate the brand; the importance of repair; wanting to support design’s grassroots; and why materials and systems are the company’s future. You pre-register for Material Matters London here . Support the show

Lulu Harrison is a researcher and maker in sustainable material development. She creates glass pieces that have often been inspired by ancient making techniques, working with local and waste resources. Over the years, she has collaborated with historians, material scientists, and artists to create ‘geo-specific’ glass. Lulu has recently won the Ralph Saltzman Prize for her project Thames Glass – which uses various waste materials from the River Thames, including river sand, wood ashes and quagga mussel shells – and has had an accompanying solo show at the Design Museum in London. In this episode we talk about: moving to Cornwall and building her own studio; how glass is made and why Thames Glass is different; being inspired by traditional techniques; collaborating with everyone from academics to Murano glassblowers; using wine waste, river sand and mussel shells in her glass recipes; how Covid helped shape her practice; swimming in The Thames as a child; her (extremely) creative family; finding school tough; starting her own fashion label; and stumbling upon glass by ‘happy accident’. And remember, Material Matters London runs from 17-20 September at Space House. The fair is free for architects and designers but it’s vital you register in advance. For more details go to our website: material matters.design Support the show