
austeja platukyte is a creative researcher working in between the disciplines of material design and science, technology, and craft. her creative solutions are systematically linked to the theme of organic matter and materials transformation into other forms, introducing new social, cultural, economic, and psychological context into her creative process. austeja explores the fundamental ecological problems, emphasizing subjective emotional involvement, and questioning the values of an anthropocentric society. departing from the aesthetic, formal, and functional definitions austeja seeks to discover alternative design methods that will resist the logic of universality, functionality, and overall beauty dictated by large-scale design industry
during her ongoing research of hybrid and living materials she seeks to rethink the relationship between humans and nature, questioning today’s scientific information, and speculate the material futures. in her artistic practice she examines nature-oriented materiality and designs the relationship between grown and made. based on the idea of symbiomimicry, in which learning from nature does not seek to benefit the humanity, but promotes full interaction between different organisms, the possibility of living in harmony with all life on the planet is presented through symbiotic design objects
austeja is available for freelance projects, collaborations, workshops, and internships in the field of material research and design. feel free to contact her with any questions you may have
EDUCATION
2018 - present | vilnius academy of arts | ph.d. of design
2016 - 2018 | vilnius academy of arts | master of design
2012 - 2016 | vilnius academy of arts | bachelor of design
2003 - 2011 | national m. k. ciurlionis school of art | design
EXPERIENCE
04 2023 - present | seaweed foam | founder & owner
05 2022 - present | biomaterials library | founder & material scout
05 2017 - present | creative researcher and materials designer
06 2021 - 04 2023 | vilnius academy of arts | entrepreneur
09 2022 - 01 2023 | vilnius academy of arts | biomaterials design lecturer
09 2021 - 01 2022 | vilnius academy of arts | biomaterials design lecturer
04 2021 - 07 2021 | ktu design centre | junior researcher
09 2020 - 01 2021 | vilnius academy of arts | design lecturer
06 2019 - 10 2020 | eko namai | materials and design researcher
04 2019 - 05 2019 | gengdan institute of beijing university of technology | visiting design lecturer
10 2017 - 01 2018 | vilnius academy of arts | design lecturer
08 2017 - 01 2018 | do architects | product designer
07 2015 - 08 2015 | do architects | design intern
RESIDENCIES
07 2021 - 08 2021 | TUO TUO, joutsa, finland
09 2020 - 10 2020 | montemero art residency, san juan de los terreros, almeria, spain
09 2018 - 12 2018 | softLab residency and scholarship program at sliperiet umeå university, umeå, sweden
TALKS & CONFERENCES
EU MISSION “RESTORE OUR OCEAN & WATERS BY 2030”: the baltic north sea lighthouse in action
environmental event "INTERESTING ECOLOGY"
MATERIALDISTRICT UTRECHT 2023
international symposium: (BUILDING) NEW PERSPECTIVES through practice-led research in art, design and architecture hosted by the Institute of contemporary art, design and architecture (LMDA) - design for symbiocene. hybrid materials and symbiotic objects - in between the grown and made
design for adaptation: CUMULUS DETROIT 2022 conference on paper session: design for symbiocene. hybrid materials and symbiotic objects - in between the grown and made
vilnius academy of arts - phd of art?! vitamins for PHD and DA for artists, designers and architects
e. geppert academy of art and design - research methods in visual art symposium
lithuanian young scientists union (LJMS) - climate talks: green buildings
the FACHPACK 2021 forum PACKBOX - new directions in sustainable packaging design
the XVIIIth discussion forum waste management 2021
2021 IEEE ICTE leading digital transformation in business and society
the XIVth discussion forum waste management 2017