My practice is based on sustainability and a strong sense of environmental responsibility, especially toward marine damage and plastic pollution. Growing up in Morocco, I often saw plastic waste along the coastline. At first, I saw it as visual pollution, but over time it made me aware of the serious harm it causes to the environment. This experience pushed me to learn more about how plastic pollution affects life under water, especially coral, and to explore how discarded materials can be turned into sculptural textile forms. Knowing that much of the world’s plastic waste ends up underwater strengthened my commitment to addressing marine degradation through my artistic work.
My making process begins with both primary and secondary research. In my written research, I gather information about plastic pollution, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, coral life, coral shapes, and different types of plastic waste. This research supports my visual work, which focuses on experimenting with materials. I manipulate waste plastics at different temperatures to create coral‑inspired forms. I also make many samples using hand‑embroidery techniques, mainly beading, to turn coral shapes into three‑dimensional textile pieces. I test different embroidery designs and ways of placing the beads to echo the natural growth of coral reefs.
A key part of my process is circularity. I hand‑stitch each manipulated plastic form and make individual beads from the leftover plastic waste. This closed‑loop approach keeps all materials within the cycle of my work and shows how discarded plastics can become meaningful, sculptural, and textural elements in sustainable textile art.
Fashion & Textiles 
Vasilisa Rodionova | Fashion & Textiles
