JACQUELINE DE LA FUENTE

Born in England and partially raised in the Philippines, Jacqueline de la Fuente, who creates artwork under the moniker De La Jardin, has always been concerned about how objects create waste that affects the environment. When she became a mother, her awareness heightened. "I wanted to see if I could use my household paper and card waste to create these sculptural objects and bring new life to materials so easily thrown away and discarded," she says.

Using discarded paper from her own house and paper and card waste from local cafes and shops, de la Fuente developed a malleable building material that she mixes with water, flour, glue, and a small amount of joint compound. Then, she shapes this material with her hands into vessels that can be used as flower vases or left as decorative objects. Often, de la Fuente paints the vessels in bright colors, including bubble gum pink, lime green, and royal blue. "I like to go all the way with [the color] and make it sing as much as possible," she says. Sometimes, the materials are left unfinished. "I [also] like to keep some pieces in their natural pulp to allow the material to speak for itself and tell its own story," she says.