Kōrero between Adi Reza, CEO of MYCL, Indonesia, and Dr. Huhana Smith (PhD., MNZM, Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) with fellow members of environmental research group Te Whiri Whītau, about their work with natural materials.
The talk will be held at Shoreline Cinema, Mahara Place, Waikanae.
Limited places. Drop into the gallery or book here
Dr. Huhana Smith (PhD., MNZM, Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) is a visual artist, curator and principal investigator in research who engages in major environmental, trans-disciplinary, kaupapa Māori and action-research projects. She is co-principal investigator for research that includes mātauranga Māori methods with sciences to actively address climate change concerns for coastal Māori lands in Horowhenua-Kāpiti. Huhana actively encourages the use of art and design’s visual systems combined in exhibitions, to expand how solutions might integrate complex issues and make solutions more accessible for local communities. She co-leads Te Whiri Whītau, a research cluster exploring how natural fibres can prompt cultural, environmental, social and economic regeneration. Their research is led by mātauranga and Indigenous knowledge systems.
Adi Reza is CEO and co-founder of MYCL, a biomaterials company pioneering mycelium-based leather, seaweed biopolymer and composites for sustainable fashion, interiors, and packaging. Trained in engineering and product development, Adi has led MYCL from lab scale to scalable manufacturing, supplying global brands with low-carbon, cruelty-free materials. His work has earned industry awards and international recognition for climate impact and circular design. He is an Australia Awards alumnus, focusing research on bioprocess optimization and supply-chain readiness for next-gen materials.