Johanna earned a Master of Arts from the Royal College of Art (RCA), London, after being awarded the RCA Abraaj Global Innovation Scholarship and completed her Bachelor’s at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore. Her experience spans working at the haute couture design house Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, to conducting textile research at The Hamlyn Center, Imperial College London on ‘Fairspace’ grant and the RCA, and as a materiality designer at Jaguar Land Rover. With expertise ranging from traditional hand embroidery in India to future technologies like exoskeleton suits and graphene printing, Johanna’s diverse skill set uniquely positions her at the intersection of traditional craft and advanced innovation.

Design statement

As a materiality designer and researcher, I explore the convergence of textiles, soft materials, and innovation, blending traditional craftsmanship with new technologies inspired by nature’s systems. By investigating the hidden geometries of the natural world—fractals, cellular structures, and the Fibonacci sequence—I translate these insights into meaningful material expressions.

Questioning the lifecycle of textiles and integrating biomimicry principles, I pursue a vision where materials are part of circular systems—co-created with nature’s principles and attuned to its rhythms. My work positions textiles and soft materials as more than functional objects; they become vessels of meaning, fostering connections between humans, materials, and the environment.

Situated at the intersection of craft, technology, and nature, my practice bridges the past and future of material design. Drawing from Indian craftsmanship, digital tools, and ecological principles, I explore how traditional knowledge can merge with modern methodologies to create a new aesthetic language.

Through research-based exploration, my practice is guided by the belief that design is an act of inquiry and care. Themes of growth, transformation, and the intelligence of nature inform my approach, underpinned by an ethos of responsibility. I aim to craft purposeful, thought-provoking materials.

Residencies and Research Trips 

Makers Xchange, Lottozero Textile Laboratories, Online residency 2022

Art House Holland, Holland 2021

Block printing, Sanganer, Jaipur, India 2019

Silk sericulture farms, Ramanagara, Karnataka, India 2019

Kyoto Design Lab, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan 2018 

Royal Amateur Expedition Society and Sail Britain, Scotland, United Kingdom 2018

Handloom weaving, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India 2011