Ephemeral by Design

Portland Design Thinkers are excited to welcome Leksi Kostur, Ephemeral by Design.

This talk explores the role of biodegradable materials in the future of design. Drawing from work in festivals, weddings, and funerary contexts, Leksi examines design situations where short-lived and single-use objects are not failures, but appropriate and even advantageous choices. Rather than positioning biodegradability as a universal solution, she focuses on material logic and circular design practices, aligning purpose with lifespan. She also looks at whimsy, imagination, and references to nature as intentional design choices, framing optimism as a designer’s responsibility at a time when environmental fatigue and resignation are widespread. Designing with nature becomes a way to counter eco-nihilism and imagine more regenerative futures

About our Speaker:
Leksi Kostur is a biodesigner whose work explores how material innovation can connect design with nature. Trained at Central Saint Martins in London, Leksi creates wearable works and ceremonial designs using biodegradable materials she develops from seaweed and other natural sources. Her practice bridges design, social science, and material research, merging scientific inquiry with storytelling and symbolism. She has applied her material knowledge to design displays, sets, and stages with re:right design—the UK-based studio she co-founded—and has showcased her work at Glastonbury Festival, New York Design Festival, London Design Festival, and the Science Museum London. In addition to her design practice, Leksi has lectured in biodesign at leading institutions, including University of the Arts London and the Royal College of Art. Rooted in her Pacific Northwest upbringing, Leksi’s work reflects a deep respect for natural systems and the belief that design can bring us into alignment with them.

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