Email: andreadlpstudio@gmail.com

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Andrea De la Peña

Discovering natural and social systems through materials and contextual research allows me to understand hidden perspectives that can enrich and integrate communities in the design processes and critical conversations. Through my practice, I gather information that can be transformed into innovation and visual stories to communicate some of the main social and ecological urgencies.

Andrea is a Mexican designer and researcher. She connects material exploration, research, critical design and storytelling.

Materiality is the starting point of most of her projects and a communication tool to explore critical narratives and share local stories. Her work incorporates multi-disciplinary approaches, such as graphic design. concept visualization, contextual research, material and product development, as well as critical narratives.

Currently, she develops commissions and collaborations with different local studios and institutions as a freelancer. Besides, she leads the material development project Sustrato and the new collaborative platform Symbiotic Connections (...very soon).

Education

Summer 2022
Design Campus / Kunstgewerbemuseum Dresde (DE)

Summer 2020
True matter / Dutch Invertuals Academy (NL)

2014-2018
Industrial Design / Bachelor / Centro de Diseño, Cine y Televisión (MX)

2017
Fine Arts / Exchange / Gerrit Rietveld Academie (NL)

2011 - 2014
Graphic Design / Technical degree / Instituto Politécnico Nacional (MX)

Awards

2023
Scholarship / Designers in Residency /EMMA Kreativzentrum Pforzheim

2022
Fellowship / Jóvenes creadores 2022 / Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes

2021
Winner / No Waste Challenge / What Design Can Do

2018
Semifinalist / Green Challenge / Heineken

2018
Semifinalist / Clean Energy Challenge / What Design Can Do

Publications

2023

Feature of ‘Sustrato’ at Design Materials and Making for Social Change book / Print

2022

Article: ‘¿El futuro del diseño?’ at AD magazine / Print
Feature of ‘Sustrato’ at What Design Can Do’s book ‘Never waste a good crisis’ / Print
Article: ‘Biomaterials, the future of design in benefit to the natural environment’ at AD magazine / Online / ︎︎︎Link
Feature of ‘Sustrato’ at Future Materials Bank by Jan van Eyck Academie / Online/ ︎︎︎Link
Feature of ‘Sustrato’ at DesignWanted magazine / Online / ︎︎︎Link

2021

Feature of ‘Sustrato’ at Design Indaba magazine / Online / ︎︎︎Link

Article: ‘Sustrato, new materials made out of pineapple waste’ at Coolhuntermx magazine / Online / ︎︎︎Link

Feature of ‘Sustrato’ at Colab digital / Online / ︎︎︎Link

2020

Article: ‘Plastic: Villain or Hero?’ at Coolhuntermx magazine / Online / ︎︎︎Link

Exhibitions/Talks

2023

Diseño en Femenino.México contemporáneo / Casa de México en España / (Madrid, SP)

Designers in Residence / EMMA Kreativzentrum Pforzheim (Pforzheim, DE)

Diseño en Femenino. México 1940-2022. / Museo Franz Mayer (Mexico City, MX)

2022

Make it Circular! / Museo Franz Mayer (Mexico City, MX)

Creatividad para revalorizar el desperdicio alimentario / Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura y CENTRO (Mexico City, MX)

Cycle with the sun / School of the Untold / Kunstgewerbe Museum (Dresden, DE)

Materialis / Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (Guadalajara, MX)
Recycling Designprize / Marta Herford Museum (Herford, DE)
DEOM Diseño, Escena y Otras Materialidades / Aleph Festival (Mexico City, MX)
Latente Congress / Anáhuac University (Mexico City, MX)

2021

Sustrato / What Design Can Do Mexico (Mexico City, MX)
Conversation about sustainable materials / Centro de Diseño, Cine y Televisión (Mexico City, Mexico)

2020

MetamorFOODsis / Dutch Design Week (Eindhoven, NL)
True Matter by Dutch Invertuals Academy / Dutch Design Week (Eindhoven, NL)
Re-mattering Matter / Fashion Revolution Week (Mexico City, MX)
Plastic: Villain or Hero / Coolhuntermx (Mexico City, MX)

2019

Sustrato (Solo exhibition) / Dutch Design Week (Eindhoven, NL)
Nature based generations / Dubai Design Week (Dubai, EAU)

2017

Palpitar / Gerrit Rietveld Academie (Amsterdam, NL)