Microscopy by Anne-Cécile Reymann, Manuel Thery, iRTSV in Grenoble, France

Cells by Laura Katherine McMillan

McMillan on her project:

I began this series of embroideries as a way to fuse my background studies in anatomy and kinesiology with my passion for textile art. Revisiting old text books brought back not just information I would have to memorize for its function but a wealth of beautiful imagery. I began to see the cells as a series of intricate textures and shapes.

Creating this series made me think about how our view of something as merely functional can overshadow its inherent beauty.

The Mutation Series by Maarten De Ceulaer takes experimental furniture design to its logical conclusion: to resemble an experiment.

About the project:

The pieces in this series look like they weren’t made by hands, but have grown to their present form organically. They might be the result of a mutation in cells, or the result of a chemical or nuclear reaction. Perhaps it’s a virus or bacteria that has grown dramatically out of scale. The Mutation pieces make you look at furniture in a different way. Maybe one day we would be able to grow a piece of furniture like we breed or clone an animal, and manipulate it’s shape like a bonsai tree.

On the other hand, the project can be seen as an experimental review of classic furniture upholstery. It reminds us of the famous and iconic deep buttoned (Chesterfield) sofa’s, interpreted in a highly contemporary and sculptural way. Instead of upholstering springs and foam with leather or textile, these pieces are created by carefully composing patterns with cut-offs of foam spheres of various sizes, and applying them onto a structure. In the end the entire piece gets coated, with a durable rubber or tactile velvet-like finish. It is hardly impossible to ever recreate such a specific pattern, so every piece is completely unique.

Igor Lobanov’s PicCells are inflatable furniture pieces that conveniently collapse into a white case. 

About the project:

The main case can use for the separating of dwelling space. Also this furniture item can be small coffee-table. The case contains inflatable linked cell covers.When the case is opening each cover item fills with the air. The customer can change manually the links between each cover.Designer proposes some biological and natural structures and textures such as Orange, Leaves, Butterfly, Foam. Each structure represents an interconnected set of cells.

Alexis Sachs’s charming repurposed pocket watches contain representations of cells and molecules.  

Artist Carissa Weber finds inspiration from nature, right down to the cellular level. 

The Nervous System Etsy store features jewelry and lighting with design that more than a little organic:

Nervous System works at the intersection of science, art, and technology. We combine generative computer simulations with digital fabrication to create jewelry, art and housewares inspired by natural forms and processes