Post Luxury: Materials of Context

“Post Luxury: Materials of Context” uses discarded oyster shell to redefine material value through a crystallized ceramic that communicates context. The material addresses a growing trend of “luxury” material associations being replaced with those that create a connection to the community at its source, prioritizing sustainability and simplicity. It is the result of a detailed study of the oyster shell, mimicking its microscopic structure formation.

It can be created on site in oyster producing regions, and formed using only water, shell, and a mineral which, when controlled through heat and over time, grow crystals to bind oyster shell fragments together into a hard and durable structure. As the material reaches its end of life it can be broken down and, mimicking the oyster growth cycle, be reintegrated as the seed for a new generation of material, thus having a lifespan of centuries.