This collection of vessels explores the relationship between waste, inherent value, and tradition in response to the 2023 Venice Biennale theme “Laboratory of the Future”.

The Spaces gallery of Cleveland tasked NTDS and four other studios with using plastic waste as a primary material for the U.S. Pavilion’s collection entitled ‘Everlasting Plastics’.

With the intention of unifying the old and new, we activated traditional West African forms languages through the use of 100% recycled waste plastic, creating a family of vessels and baskets. The result aimed to elevate the value of “disposable” plastic by referencing rich and ancient traditions. 

After its debut in the 2023 Biennale, the collection was exhibited at the Carnegie Museum of Art in 2024