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“Re-Cocoon,” a project by Japanese artist Yasuhiro Suzuki, features lampshades molded directly from silk cocoons. Suzuki was curious about the idea of silk as an architectural material and, through research on the textile’s production and advantages, learned that it’s very lightweight, heat resistant and durable.
That made light fixtures a logical fit for the designer, and the result is a series of lighting fixtures made using a custom-built machine, a power drill and a boiling pot of water. The drill grabs strands from the cocoons placed in the water and the strings are rotated around a formwork, which defines how the lamp will be illuminated.
To complete the sustainable accessory, the shape is maintained with sericin, a natural, glue-like protein, so the light is, ultimately, biodegradable as well.