This series of lamps brings together craft and functionality, exploring the potential of sustainable and experimental materials. Each surface is the result of a different biomaterial experiment from 2024, ranging from unprocessed alpaca wool, algae based biomaterial, foraged bull kelp, and bacterial leather. Each lamp is sewn onto a hand-welded steel frame using waxed linen.
1. Kelp’s Last Light
35 x 35 x 28cm
Bull kelp, steel, lamp fitting, bulb
Kelp's Last Light is a lamp made from bull kelp (Durvillaea potatorum), a species critical to the health of Australia’s marine ecosystems. As bull kelp forests rapidly decline due to climate change and environmental stressors, this piece serves as a tribute to its critical role in supporting our marine environment. I acknowledge that the Palawa people of Lutruwita were the first to use bull kelp to create water carriers thousands of years ago.
2. Veined
41 x 36 x 33cm
Bacterial leather, steel, waxed linen, lamp fititng, bulb
The Veined Lamp is crafted from bacterial leather, a byproduct of kombucha fermentation. Grown over several months in black tea from a baby scoby, the material is carefully dried and oiled, transforming into a skin-like textile.
3. Grease
40 x 40 x 35cm
Alpaca wool, steel, waxed linen, lamp fitting, bulb
The grease lamp is crafted from felted alpaca wool and steel. Soft & hard. The wool is left unprocessed to create an organic felt, preserving the detailed curls and revealing the natural textures and colours of the coat.
4. Birthmark
40 x 35 x 35cm
Algae, glycerin, vegetable oil, black tea, charcoal, steel, waxed linen, lamp fitting, bulb
This lamp is crafted from an algae-based biomaterial. The translucent, amber- hued textile is dyed with black tea, while the black spots are dyed with charcoal .