Drifting Archive: Research Artefact 001 is a transparent etched art book inspired by mother-of-pearl and iridescent seashells. Presented as a fragmentary archive, it gathers references to shell ecology, structural colour, species and geographies of growth, maritime trade, colonial circulation, decorative craft histories, and future non-polluting approaches to colour.

Challenging the boundaries of book arts and scientific documentation, Drifting Archive was crafted entirely from colorless glass-like pages, every page features high-precision etching. Dense scientific mappings, speculative text, and trade routes physically indent the surfaces, creating a deeply tactile topography. The juxtaposition of smooth, pristine glass against frosted, etched diagrams directly mirrors the dual nature of an abalone shell with its smooth nacre protected by a rugged exterior.

By utilizing transparent plates instead of paper, the layers of text, maps, and biological illustrations visually superimpose on one another as the viewer turns the pages. This precise interplay of transparency and depth simulates how light filters through oceanic depths and refracts off the microscopic, layered structures of natural nacre.

For centuries, mother-of-pearl (traditionally known as 螺鈿 luodian) has been harvested along East and Southeast Asian coasts, traded, displaced, and crafted into heritage artifacts such as decorative inlaid furniture. Its surfaces reveal both ecological identities and the traces of the craftsman’s hand. The artistic research archive approaches mother-of-pearl not only as a biological material, but also as a surface through which histories of ornament, movement, extraction, and interpretation can be read. Like ocean currents, these narratives drift ashore, offshore, and across continents.

Research and development: Studio Scarlett Yang

Production: MTEX Futures Ltd

Supported by: Design Trust HK

Presented at: Somerset House Earth Day May 2026