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Outcome & Reflection



The finished lamps; Lucerna & Obscura; operate not only as lighting objects, but as artefacts of process. They are paired opposites: one reveals history through glow and movement, the other conceals it, until warmth and light bring its story forward.

The project was exhibited with a set of supporting artefacts: material samples presenting eleven tanning and dyeing variations and a salmon leather process booklet,  all designed to communicate transparency, replicability, and respect for craft lineage.

The lamps were photographed in example home contexts to highlight their relevance to everyday life, bridging design integrity with domestic familiarity. This decision also foregrounds the material's adaptability; not as an isolated concept object, but as something tactile, atmospheric, and real.

This project demonstrates how contemporary design can honour the histories, meanings, and techniques embedded within traditional materials; not simply appropriating their aesthetic, but translating their value through respectful, transparent practice. Every decision was shaped by the belief that materials are not inert resources, but relational systems; shaped by hands, places, and time.

The inclusion of sample boards, coding systems, and printed booklets ensures that the project remains open; not a sealed design, but a framework for others to understand, iterate, and build upon. Replicability and public access are central to its regenerative ethos.

Further development could include collaborative work with fish leather makers and Indigenous craft practitioners; to bring this material lineage forward not only through research, but through direct engagement and shared authorship.

This body of work ultimately positions material-led storytelling as a method of design that connects process, provenance, and responsibility; reminding that in a world of mass production and material amnesia, transparency is a powerful act of care.


Skills Used

  • Regenerative material exploration (natural tanning, dyeing, conditioning)
  • Steel and wood fabrication (metal bending, CNC cutting, woodturning)
  • Digital and manual stitchwork (CAD embroidery, whipstitching, pattern cutting)
  • Process documentation (booklet design, metadata tagging, SBOM creation)
  • Lighting system integration (electrical wiring, bulb fitting, safety)
  • Spatial photography and visual storytelling
  • Community engagement and local material sourcing
  • Critical research, cultural referencing, and narrative framing