Natsai Audrey Chieza is a designer and the founder of Faber Futures,^[1] a R&D studio that creates biologically inspired materials. She gave a 2017 TED talk on fashion's problem with pollution. She is Designer in Residence at Ginkgo Bioworks.

Early life and education

Chieza was born in Harare, Zimbabwe.^[2] She moved to the United Kingdom when she was seventeen years old.^[3] She studied Architecture at the University of Edinburgh. She then joined Central Saint Martins, where she completed a Master's in Materials Futures.^[4] She worked with University College London's John Ward, a Professor of Synthetic Biology, and became interested in the sustainability of synthetic biology and stem cell research.^[4][5][6] During this time she was Designer in Residence at the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London.^[7]

Research and career

Chieza joined the Textile Futures Research Centre.^[8] She identified that streptomyces could be used as a fabric dye.^[8] Streptomyces produce actinorhodin, which changes colour depending on the acidity of its environment.^[9] In Project Coelicolor, these bacteria were used to dye silk scarves.^[10][11] She has exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Gallery, Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, Harvard Art Museums and Audax Textile Museum.^[8][12] She was a resident designer at IDEO.^[13] She has taught at Central Saint Martins and The Bartlett.^[14]

Chieza was concerned about pollution in the fashion industry.^[15] Chieza founded Faber Futures, a biomaterial research and development studio in London.^[16][17][18] She was chosen to give a TED talk in Tanzania on fashion's problem with pollution. She has done two TED talks from then to now.^[19][20][21] In February 2018 she was named as one of OkayAfrica's Top 100 Women.^[22] In 2018 she launched the Ginkgo Bioworks Creative Residency in Boston.^[23] She was a participant at the 2018 Sci Foo camp.

References