Meet Neri Oxman, the American-Israeli Designer Whose Discoveries Spawned a New Field

Oxman's work borrows design ideas from nature to manipulate nature itself.

Imagine you buy a bouquet of flowers, take them home, and place them in a vase. But this is no ordinary vase. The vessel fertilizes the flowers, changes color as they decay, and then helps them decompose after they die. 

This is the world that Jewish architect and designer Neri Oxman is creating. 

A professor at the MIT Media Lab whose cutting edge research literally spawned an entirely new field, material ecology, Oxman’s work borrows design ideas from nature to manipulate nature itself. Yes, it’s very Black Mirror vibes. 

Born and raised in Israel by two architects, Oxman’s grandmother sparked her interest in nature when she taught her the biblical story of creation. After serving three years in the Israeli Air Force, the illustrious scientist’s work has landed her a friendship with Brad Pitt (!!) and a spot in permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian. 

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Learn more about Neri Oxman’s incredible career in this short video:

Arielle Kaplan

Arielle Kaplan (she/her) makes content for horny Jews. Brooklyn based, she co-hosts Oral History, a podcast on seductresses from Cleopatra to Jessica Rabbit, and moonlights as a sex influencer as Whoregasmic on Instagram. Find her bylines on Salty Magazine, Kveller, The Nosher, and JTA.

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