Scrap Monster       

        This is a sculptural piece made entirely from discarded textile scraps and stuffed again with the same - it is a creature born from waste, a physical embodiment of excess, and the growing monstrosity of our global waste. But I think the scary part is not the moster itself, it’s the world that created it.

        The inspiration for my Scarp Monster came after a visit to the Erdotex sorting and reuse facility in Rotterdam. Every day, Erdotex processes tens of thousands of kilograms of post-consumer textiles: worn-out clothing, synthetic fibers, shoes, and household fabrics. They have over 45,000 tonnes of raw textile material sorted annually.

        What struck me most was not just the volume, but the fragility of the system: much of the collected textile is of such low quality that it’s very difficult to do anything with after it is discarded.

        The urgency of this work is amplified by larger systemic challenges. In the Netherlands alone, roughly 305 kilotons of post-consumer textiles are discarded each year, and nearly 55% of that ends up being incinerated. 

        I wanted to materialize this tension. The discarded fabric is both body and burden. Its mass feels weighty, oppressive, like a monster that’s grown too large to control.