Nuclée

Nuclée was born from a meeting combining culture, know-how and experimental approach.

Settled near Hualien, on the east coast of Taiwan, the Kavalan aboriginal tribe is expert in the use of banana fiber : they make it their traditional clothing. I had the chance to meet them, to share their way of life and to learn from their elders the ancestral techniques to use this plant.

The banana tree is one of the most cultivated plants in the world. After each harvest of bananas bunches, the “trunks” must be cut to facilitate the growth of shoots. Thus, tons of banana trees are still waiting to be revalued.

Banana flesh, a considerable waste unexploited by the Kavalan, reveals a fascinating graphic in the light. By a particular refining technique, this plant tissue is stabilized in a color range from white to dark brown. This “new” material is sublimated here in walnut shapes, inspired by the banana tree structure.

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Nuclée is currently produced in a limited series of 12 art pieces, numbered and signed, handcrafted by our hands from natural materials. It is sold in its custom packaging, a jute sheathed power cable, a certificate of authenticity and a designers’ note.

+ 80 hours of manufacturing / piece
+ 100 manufacturing steps / piece

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Green Product Award Laureate (Berlin, 2021)
“Best of Year” Grand Prize Winner (New York, 2020)

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Collaboration with Cordélia Faure
Materials : banana flesh, walnut veneer, black granite, jute, LED, assembly elements
Dimensions : 350 x 350 x 55 mm / 500 x 500 x 65 mm
Sustainable Art Light