This project tells the story of my relationship with Himalayan balsam. I worked with environmental organisations in Kingston during the project to clean up the invasive species of Himalayan Balsam trees and collect them for material research and production.
Exploring more possibilities of Himalayan Balsam from a material designer’s perspective. Balsam was studied in detail, focusing on its potential to replace certain material resources in today’s society. He has also experimented with combining it with Chinese intangible cultural heritage to create exquisite handicrafts, as well as attempting to convert balsam into bioplastics.
This project is also a new solution to invasive species for the future. It is hoped that this project will continue to grow and thus inspire others with more specialised expertise to unlock the potential of neglected natural resources and transform their impact on biodiversity from harmful to beneficial.