Tessa Silva (b.1990) is a British-Brazilian designer maker based in London, whose work considers our collective use of materials from ancient times to the present day. Her practice is rooted in a deep investigation of material culture and embodied labour, with a particular focus on the domestic and craft traditions historically associated with women.

Tessa approaches her practice as a designer of processes, inventing and adapting techniques from research into historical making. Storytelling is key; each piece draws on narratives passed down through generations, using craft to give these stories sculptural form. The work carries the memory of its making with seams that pucker, bodily forms that swell and cinch, undulating surfaces that seem to breathe. Though supple and tender in form, it fosters a dialogue on sustainability and modern waste while resonating with a broader history of exploitation.

Tessa holds an MA from the Royal College of Art. Her work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, and Collect Fair at Somerset House. She has also delivered lectures on her practice at the V&A, Henry Moore Studios, and for the British Council’s Circular Cultures programme.