Rice Urn Making

Let’s talk about death.

In this 1.5-hour workshop, you will engage in a conversation about the sensitive topic of death and dying, all while learning hands-on techniques for making an urn from rice for the ashes. This creative and healing process encourages participants to start thinking about and preparing for death.

Rice urns can serve as a sustainable and sentimental alternative to plastic cremation containers. The rice urn is biodegradable and can be buried in the soil, where it will decompose over time. Creating rice urns and contemplating after-death care practices can be a meditative and healing process, offering a way to say goodbye to loved ones and prepare for death.

This workshop is an intercultural collaboration between design historian and consultant Dr. Chetan Shastri and multidisciplinary artist Vivian Qiu.

Rice urns can serve as a sustainable and sentimental alternative to plastic cremation containers. The rice urn is biodegradable and can be buried in the soil, where it will decompose over time. Creating rice urns and contemplating after-death care practices can be a meditative and healing process, offering a way to say goodbye to loved ones and prepare for death.

This workshop is an intercultural collaboration between design historian and consultant Dr. Chetan Shastri and multidisciplinary artist Vivian Qiu.

BIO

During his early career, Chetan Shastri worked as a design consultant in India and in London. Following a second MA in History of Design from the Royal College Art (London), Chetan has been teaching design in India and in Australia. Chetan’s award-winning research and creative practice in Australia, since 2019, has been focused on supporting better experiences at end-of-life. 

Chetan’s emerging social innovation practice emphasizes on designing for a post-capitalist world. In this context, social innovation becomes a critical approach—distinct from and often more impactful than technological innovation. Chetan’s model of practice is concerned with designing for the two significant life events (birth and death), for the time experienced between these events through a practice of care (of the self and others) and for our relationship to the world (culture, society and ecology) that we are inserted into. Chetan is also interested in situating innovation for adoption by communities and impact evaluation.

Vivian Qiu is an emerging artist whose background in jewellery and fashion informs her innovative approach to wearable art and sculpture. Her practice explores cultural identity, healing and oracle bone script — the most ancient Chinese language used for future prediction. Drawing on her diverse living experiences across different countries, she delves into her roots and personal identity through unique material research, creating culturally significant pieces from rice, grass, and soil. She uses her creative process to embrace life's challenges and navigate complex emotions, inviting audiences to engage in introspection and potentially reframe their narratives.