Natsai Audrey Chieza

Chieza was born in Harare, Zimbabwe.[2] She moved to the United Kingdom when she was seventeen years old.[3] She studied Architecture at the University of Edinburgh. She then joined Central Saint Martins, where she completed a Master's in Materials Futures.[4] She worked with University College London's John Ward, a Professor of Synthetic Biology, and became interested in the sustainability of synthetic biology and stem cell research.[4][5][6] During this time she was Designer in Residence at the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London.[7]

Chieza joined the Textile Futures Research Centre.[8] She identified that streptomyces could be used as a fabric dye.[8] Streptomyces produce actinorhodin, which changes colour depending on the acidity of its environment.[9] In Project Coelicolor, these bacteria were used to dye silk scarves.[10][11] She has exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Gallery, Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, Harvard Art Museums and Audax Textile Museum.[8][12] She was a resident designer at IDEO.[13] She has taught at Central Saint Martins and The Bartlett.[14]

Chieza is concerned about pollution in the fashion industry.[15] Chieza founded Faber Futures, a biomaterial research and development studio in London.[16][17][18] She was chosen to give a TED talk in Tanzania on fashion's problem with pollution.[19][20][21] In February 2018 she was named as one of OkayAfrica's Top 100 Women.[22] In 2018 she is launching the Ginkgo Bioworks Creative Residency in Boston.[23] She was a participant at the 2018 Sci Foo camp.