ZENA HOLLOWAY (ROOTFULL)
RED MADDER WALL HANGING
GRASS ROOT NATURALLY DYED WITH MADDER
H 100 cm W 95 cm
UNIQUE
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Zena Holloway guides plant root, as it grows, with templates that are intricately carved from beeswax. Through contemporary craft, innovation and invention, she bio-designs memorable artefacts that cultivate material intelligence and regenerative design.
“It’s an interplay of craft, design, sustainability and biology - fusing disciplines that would otherwise remain separated.”
For over 25 years, Holloway worked as an underwater photographer and director, featuring in publications including National Geographic, GQ, and The Sunday Times as well as creating global campaigns for clients such as Nike, Pepsi, Speedo, Sony and Greenpeace.
Through her work, she's seen the impact of environmental damage on our oceans firsthand, from coral bleaching to plastic pollution. This sparked a curiosity in material science which led to research into bio-design. She built a fungarium in her basement to experiment with mycelium and a year later encountered the intricate root system of a willow tree in her local river - What if we could grow our clothes from seed? This idea became the foundation for Studio Rootfull. Since 2018, Holloway has been bio-designing grass root materials and leans on her background in underwater photography to create pieces that echo the forms and textures of marine life. She is the recipient of a QEST craft scholarship and a UK innovate creative R&D grant for her work with root.
Zena Holloway (Rootfull) | Red Madder Wall Hanging
