ALEOR CRAFT & BIODESIGN
Textile Art — Sea Urchin Pigments & Japanese CraftsmanshipThe first artwork in the ECHIRO series was unveiled at the launch of Aleor Craft & Biodesign during Collectible Design Fair in Brussels in 2025, alongside a curated selection of unique and limited-edition pieces exploring new approaches to sustainable design.
Developed by artist Tony Jouanneau in collaboration with Marie Albéric, a CNRS researcher at Sorbonne University, ECHIRO explores the extraction of natural pigments from invasive sea urchin spines and their application to textile dyeing. This research evolved during a residency at Villa Kujoyama in Japan, supported by the Institut français and the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller.
The resulting artwork brings together scientific experimentation and ancestral Japanese craftsmanship, drawing on collaborations with Hiroaki Kuno, master of Shibori pleating at Kunosen Factory in Arimatsu, and textile artisan Harumi Sugiura, specialising in traditional cardboard pleating.
Inspired by the Japanese archipelago, its topography and ecosystems, ECHIRO embodies the principle of symbiosis at the heart of Tony Jouanneau’s artistic practice, exploring the relationship between natural resources, material transformation and exceptional craftsmanship.
Founded by Nathalie Guiot, Aleor Craft & Biodesign championed a new dialogue between collectible design, bio-based materials and ecological narratives.
First artwork in the ECHIRO series — Acquired
Research collaboration: Marie Albéric — CNRS / Sorbonne University
Japanese craftsmanship: Kunosen Factory × Harumi Sugiura
Residency: Villa Kujoyama, Japan
Presentation: Collectible Design Fair, Brussels, 2025