Our heart & ethos
It began...
Meet Viola Narang,
creator and soul behind Oh, SAND!
I was born in the far north of Russia, where summer nights never get dark and tart cloudberries cover the swampy soil of the taiga forest. One of my happiest childhood memories was going to the south of Russia, famous for its sandy beaches and warm sea. What a joy it was to sink my toes and fingers into the soft sand, to run and swim, to have sand in my hair and marine salt on my skin.
I live in California now, where I raise my son — his mouth full of strawberries, his nights always dark. Here, on the sandy coast of the Pacific Ocean, I’ve discovered my inner purpose. I write climate fiction and practice sustainable art. Perhaps it’s the magic of tossing your shoes away and sinking your toes into the sand that ignites the spark of creativity — wonder, exploration, that very captivating, soul-awakening idea.
Let the sand move you too.
Viola, 3 years old
Viola, now
Upcycling VS recycling
Upcycling is the creative process of taking materials that would otherwise be discarded and transforming them into new, higher-value products. Unlike traditional recycling, which breaks down waste into raw materials to be remade (often losing quality in the process), upcycling retains the original material’s character and builds on it—celebrating texture, history and uniqueness. It’s a mindset shift: from “waste” to “wonder,” giving new life to old things rather than simply disposing or reprocessing them.
Viola, now
On waste
Recycling certainly has its place—but it also faces real challenges. Many materials labelled “recyclable” are contaminated, mixed, or composed of combined layers that make true recycling technically or economically infeasible. For example, the plastic industry’s global recycling rate remains stubbornly below 10%.* With textiles, while fibre-to-fibre recycling is possible in theory, in practice less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments world-wide.** Upcycling bypasses these barriers by embracing the imperfections and uniqueness of discarded material—turning the challenge of “hard to recycle” into an opportunity for artistic and functional transformation.
At its heart, upcycling is about beauty—about transformation. We see the potential in what’s been cast off: a worn garment becomes a wall hanging with layered texture; salvaged ceramic fragments or plastic elements become sculptural reliefs; materials that once served one function now speak anew in colour, form and story. In giving old, discarded, or salvaged materials a new form, we honour their past and amplify their future. The result? Unique art with richness, character, and sustainability built into its very substance.
* Global plastic recycling rates 'stagnant' at under 10%: Study
**Fashion Waste Crisis: Causes and Practical Solutions for Brands