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Blue Becoming

Peichin Lin

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A textile designer exploring sustainable colour and material systems through microbiology and cultural heritage. Her work combines microbial dye recovery with ecological storytelling, rethinking the relationship between pollution and value. By integrating living systems, traditional practices, and material-based expression, she builds new narratives around regeneration, care, and the role of design in a changing environment.

A textile designer exploring sustainable colour and material systems through microbiology and cul...

Blue Becoming explores a microbial system that purifies indigo textile wastewater while producing phycocyanin — a natural blue pigment with the potential to sustainably replace synthetic indigo.

The system operates through a two-stage, closed-loop process: Bacillus subtilis first breaks down synthetic dye pollutants, followed by Spirulina, which absorbs the remaining nutrients. Pigment is then extracted from the microalgae. This separation ensures the purity of both water and dye, while maintaining ecological balance.

The project draws on traditional Chinese indigo dyeing and the symbolism of the lotus — a flower that not only emerges pure from muddy water, but actively contributes to its purification. This dual role mirrors the microbial system at the heart of Blue Becoming, where polluted dye wastewater is transformed into clean water and vibrant, living colour. The lotus becomes both a cultural metaphor and an ecological parallel, embodying the possibility of regeneration through natural systems.

Final work

  • A pale blue silk scarf with soft, flowing gradients, dyed using phycocyanin pigment. It features repeating lotus-inspired patterns, simplified from tr
  • Traditional Chinese cotton fabric printed with a blue, repeating lotus pattern arranged in a rhythmic grid. The design draws from Ming and Qing textil
  • Close-up of a silk textile dyed with flowing blue tones. The soft gradients resemble water ripples, capturing the fluidity and layering of pigment on

Blue Becoming

Research and process

Three test tubes, from left to right: the first contains deep blue indigo dye representing untreated wastewater; the second contains yellow LB medium

Stage 1: Bacterial Decolorization of Indigo Dye

This image documents Stage 1 of the microbial treatment system. From left to right: the first tube contains indigo blue dye, representing the original synthetic wastewater; the second is LB medium alone, showing its natural yellow tint; the third contains LB medium, indigo dye, and Bacillus subtilis. After five days, the third tube shifts from deep green to pale green, demonstrating bacterial decolorization — the essential first step in the two-stage purification process.

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Blue Becoming

Blue Becoming explores a microbial system that purifies indigo textile wastewater while producing phycocyanin — a natural blue pigment with the potential to sustainably replace synthetic indigo.The system operates through a two-stage, closed-loop process: Bacillus subti...

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