Harvest Visuals

The concept of ‘Harvest’ originated from the Powerplay exhibition, prompting us to contemplate how we can harness energy from our surroundings. For our campaign images, all designers moved away from energy but instead delved into their own material archive; bringing aluminium, foam, bubble wrap, textiles and cardboard to wrap around their own body in carefully constructed ways. 

Inspired by how people in other countries gather and carry objects; on their heads, in their arms, on their backs for example, we asked designers to bring their harvested materials with them.

‘Designers often have a surplus of materials at their disposal, and we aimed to showcase the weight of these materials, symbolising the burdens we carry as humans’

Wendy Plomp

We observed that other cultures are adept at carrying things, inspiring us to explore the wealth of materials we possess and can re-use for our designs. The personal portraits capture each individual’s unique possessions, taken within a single day. They emphasise the transformation of everyday materials into items with distinct identities through our collective efforts.

The material sculptures covered the designers’ faces, making the designers unrecognisable. Soft fabrics embraced their bodies, tightly secured with ropes, tape, or straps, whilst more hard materials were sticking out. This fusion of contrasting materials, featuring a neutral base with vibrant pops of colour, showcased a meticulously orchestrated chaos. The campaign images as part of Harvest, challenged consumerism by creating human sculptures from abundant materials, advocating sustainable resource cycles, and highlighting the weight of material possessions, emphasising the transformation of everyday items into unique identities through collective efforts.