Kaumera Combustions

This project explores the artistic possibilities of Kaumera, a biopolymer derived from bacterial aggregates found in sewage water. This material was discovered accidentally and is a by-produced of a new water purification process developed at TU Delft.

With mentoring from TU professors Stephen Picken, Yuemei Lin and Suellen Pereira Espindola, the artist Nesie Wang delved into the unique materiality of Kaumera, and experimented with it as a fire-retardant ink for printmaking. This involves silkscreen prints on steel plates that are hand-processed with a torch. The project also reflects on the philosophical aspect of combustion, which condenses the degradation process of objects from years into mere seconds. By leaning into more-than-human perspectives, it calls for changing our perception of waste products from an endpoint to a potentially transformative material.

Nesie Junyi Wang

Profile

Nesie Junyi Wang is a Chinese-born, Netherlands-based interdisciplinary artist whose practice bridges art and material research. Her work explores the complex relationships between humans and their immediate environments through printmaking, moving images and photography. Nesie’s recent projects examine ecological systems, material transformation, and community interactions within shifting landscapes.

Nesie is currently a guest researcher at the Environmental Biotechnology section at TU Delft in collaboration with Yuemei Lin’s research group.

Website

nesiewang.com
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Yuemei Lin

Profile

Dr. Yuemei Lin is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Her current research focuses on the extraction and characterization of extracellular polymers (EPS) in microbial aggregates (flocculant sluge, granular sludge and biofilm) , understanding the role of EPS in microbial aggregates formation, recovering EPS from waste sludge and converting it into useful material.