Materials from mycelium tiles to bio-melanin fibers

Thailand’s ‘Slow Hand Design 2026’exhibition returned to Milan Design Week 2026, with an exhibition titled “Heritage Reimagined.” Thai designers are pushing the boundaries of upcycling by blending ancestral craftsmanship with cutting-edge biotechnology through innovative materials such as mycelium-grown tiles and bio-melanin fibers. 

Mush Composites creates surfaces cultivated from mycelium, naturally turning agricultural waste into materials in non-replicable patterns drawn from natural stone. The company’s Mush Art Tiles allow a stone aesthetic to be applied as a precision-milled modular cladding system.

INDIN STUDIO features a material grown from acidic sulphate soil through a bio-organic process that mirrors the sensitivity of human skin. This focus on organic evolution is shared by the brand WASOO, transforming agricultural residues like rice husks and coffee parchment into fire-retardant, sound-absorbing art tiles pigmented with natural waste. The showcase further explores the deconstruction of industrial materials and vernacular crafts, evidenced by Suchai Craft’s transformation of Thai aluminum wares into artful objects and sculptures. 

Loqa, a Thai brick-making brand anchored in a long lineage of tradition, also reinforces this spirit of metamorphosis by leveraging generations of traditional brick-making to upcycle 90 percent of architectural waste into structural 2D and 3D functional objects. Collectively, these creators redefine craftsmanship as a catalyst for innovation.

The “Heritage Reimagined: The Futuristic Thai Crafts Evolution” is an immersive encounter to reinforce the long-term dedication to strengthening Thai design’s global presence and forging new international collaborations. 

Source: Designboom.com