kamaro’an weaves lighting and stationary out of umbrella sedge plants

taiwanese studio kamaro’an weaves objects such as lighting and stationary out of umbrella sedge, a traditional material in coastal indigenous woven culture. the plant, which takes four to six months to harvest and only grows in crystal clear water, undergoes a process of separating its skin from the inner fibers before it gets weaved onto structural metal frames to create the various designs.

all images courtesy of kamaro’an

exploring craftsmanship through minimalist design, kamaro’an (which translates to ‘the place to live’) collaborates with skilled indigenous weavers for all of their products. the designers worked with craftsman sumi dongi for the separation process of the umbrella sedge layers, which made the mats more delicate in nature, as well as for the weaving of the plant onto the structural metals. resulting objects include riyar (which means ‘ocean’ in the pangcah language), a pendant light where the mat is transformed into the shape of a wave, allowing it to appear unique from every angle.

kamaro’an officially launched at the 2015 taiwan designers’ week, and was awarded rising asian talent by maison & objet paris in 2017, where it has continued to exhibit since.

project info:

name: umbrella sedge series

designer: kamaro’an

materials: umbrella sedge, powder coated steel, brass socket, incandescent bulb

dimensions: 35 x 35 x 38 (cm)

weaver: indigenous craftsman

origin: taiwan