Re-imagining the iconic Andhra shadow puppetry (Tholu Bommalata) lamp through the materiality of SCOBY leather

Luminous Lore is a large-scale installation that is a culmination of my experimentation with Bacterial Cellulose/ SCOBY leather.

 

This work is born from the question: Can we grow the objects of the future?

SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), a by-product of the kombucha industry, is the starter culture used to brew kombucha.
For this installation, we have used this same culture to grow our own leather– made of bacterial cellulose grown through fermenting tea, sugar, water, vinegar and SCOBY. The biomaterial can be grown in any size and shape with these few ingredients, thereby becoming an excellent resource for a conscious designer.
After initial kitchen table experiments and design explorations, we aimed to utilise SCOBY leather’s unique material properties in a previously unexplored and inherently Indian context.

Tholu Bommalata, the ancient shadow puppet theatre tradition of Andhra Pradesh, has traditionally relied on goat, deer or buffalo hide to craft intricate puppets, used for storytelling and folklore. Eventually, the tradition and craft evolved, and today, the craftspeople also make lamps and other decor items in the Tholu Bommalata style, to cater to a more contemporary audience. In this case, the context has evolved but the technique and material have remained the same.

Through Luminous Lore however, we try to delve into a possible synergy between this age-old technique and a new material. By introducing SCOBY leather’s materiality to the form of a large Tholu Bommalata inspired lamp, we wish to showcase this biomaterial’s perpetual play with light.

Through this installation, we invite the audience to engage with this biomaterial on a sensory level, exploring its touch and feel, and experience its beauty against light. The surface of the lamp doubles as a medium for narrating the story of the material, with hand-painted illustrations depicting the steps involved in the journey of SCOBY leather.