Nuclée
A mood lamp made using banana fiber
Settled in Hualien, on the east coast of Taiwan, the Kavalan aboriginal tribe is expert in the use of banana fiber. I had the chance to meet them, to share their work and their way of life. The banana flesh, big waste from this traditional extraction, turns out to be interesting for its translucency and its graphic qualities. By a particular technique (drying, refining, stabilization), the solidity of this plant tissue is increased. Finally usable, this new material is enhanced by a sober shape of bent bamboo, inspired by the internal structure of the banana tree stem.