Mycelium Leather Part 2: Material Properties & Surface Treatments

Participants will learn about the material properties of pure mycelium and how it can be shaped into functional fabrics while also exploring pigments and surface treatments.

Through a guided hands-on session, you will work in a BSL-1 Lab environment and test finishing methods and evaluate how surface treatments impact material properties and creative decisions, bridging the gap between raw material and functional design.

__________________

This is part two of a two-part workshop series exploring the full lifecycle of mycelium leather from living culture to finished textile. Blending laboratory methods with craft-based processes, participants will gain hands-on experience with mycofabrication techniques.

Each workshop can be taken individually or as part of the full journey, where you will gain a complete overview of the biofabrication techniques used to grow, transform and finish fungal materials.

You will learn:

• The material science and properties of mycelium leather
• Core biofabrication techniques for textile transformation
• How heat, plasticisation and dehydration alter performance and texture

You will take home:

• Your own jars of live mycelium liquid culture or kept at the lab to grow
• The knowledge and tools to continue growing outside the lab

Akir Hall is a London-based biodesigner and material researcher working at the intersection of biofabrication and craft. A graduate of the MA Biodesign, Akir works with living systems blending artisanal techniques with biotechnology to develop products grown from bacteria, fungi. 

Alongside his studio practice, Akir shares his research through lectures and hands-on workshops designed to make complex biotechnologies accessible to designers, artists, and makers. His previous workshops include Microbial Materiality (natural and microbial dyes for bacterial cellulose), Knitting with Nature (marine biopolymer and bacterial cellulose yarn making and weaving), Cultivating Cyanobacteria, Circular Biomaterials (oyster shell–based composites using 3D-printed moulds), and Mycelium Biofabrication (mycelium composite fabrication with digital moulding techniques). He has also taught Managing Sustainability at Bath Spa University, London, supporting students in embedding circular thinking into their creative practice.

Akir’s work has been featured by Tocco Earth, Dulcie Journal, The Kindcraft, Hive Curates, and the Climate Emergency Network, and exhibited internationally at Dutch Design Week, Bioart Laboratories, Lethaby Gallery, Broadworks by Hive and Botanical Bodies, G.A.S Foundation. Through his podcast grow.objects, he spotlights biodesigners and shares their stories, helping to make biodesign more accessible and support a shift toward a more regenerative material culture.

@akirhall

@grow.objects

akirhall.com

Extra Info

Accessibility Statement:

Lifefabs Institute is committed to ensuring that our events and workshops are as accessible as possible and meet the ever-changing needs of our community. As we navigate the opportunities and challenges of our workshops, we are constantly learning and adjusting our workflows to prioritise accessibility.

We’d love to hear any feedback our community might have.

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any specific accessibility requirements or questions.

Seating:

Seating is usually unreserved for our events. If you and your group require seating reservations, please do let us know by emailing us at [email protected] and we'd be more than happy to help.

Carers can receive a free ticket to an event by emailing [email protected]

Support to Attend Our Events & Workshops

Lifefabs Institute may be able to offer financial assistance to enable adults or children to participate in our events and activities if this would otherwise be financially difficult.

Please contact our team: [email protected] and we will aim to agree a reduction or bursary or wavier your fee free of charge.