Site icon Dezeen
Some Vibrant Things by Audrey Large

Audrey Large designs 3D-printed sculptures informed by digital graphics

French designer Audrey Large took cues from digital forms to design a collection of 3D-printed sculptures that explore the relationship between both our virtual and physical worlds.

The sculptures were shown at Nilufar Gallery as an exhibition called Some Vibrant Things during Milan design week.

Large's sculptures were on show at Nilufar Gallery during Milan design week

Large created the sculptures by drawing shapes by hand on a digital tablet, after which she 3D-printed the physical polylactic acid (PLA) sculptures that intend to represent 2D digital forms seen on-screen.

"I was thinking about how I could design objects as we design images," Large told Dezeen.

The iridescent sculptures resemble molten lava

Presented in iridescent shades of bright green, yellow and purple, the sculptures are ambiguously shaped, with a liquid-looking texture that resembles molten lava.

"There is no coating or paint on the sculptures, so the colour is within the material," said the designer.

Some Vibrant Things takes cues from digital shapes

Despite being digitally rendered, Large explained that her sculptures also represent handcraft, and aim to illustrate the shifting boundary between the real and the digital.

"I would say that they are pretty much handcrafted," said Large.

"Of course the sculptures are mainly made on the computer, but their shapes are very much linked to the dynamic movements of my hands."

Large noted that because her physical sculptures are created from "infinitely transformable" digital files, they suggest the possibility of morphing into something else too.

The sculptures are made by 3D-printing

Other 3D-printed projects include an electric tricycle by Austrian studio EOOS that can be 3D-printed from plastic waste and a scent-infused 3D-printed room divider made from bioplastic.

Recent sculpture designs include porcelain paintbrushes by Oornament Studio that double as sculptures in their own right and an underwater museum off the coast of Cannes, France, designed by British sculptor Jason deCaires that is formed from six sculptures of fractured human faces.

The images are courtesy of Audrey Large.


Some Vibrant Things took place from 5 to 11 September at Nilufar Gallery as part of Milan design week 2021See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Exit mobile version