Loofah

Year: 2023
Project Type : Professional, Made in Earth Collective
Team: Shruthi Ramakrishna (Partner), Jeremie Gaudin (Partner), Agnimitra Bachi (Partner), Kune Yatheesh, Kushal. N, Nikhita Ramdas

Location: Belagola, Karnataka
Exhibition: Dubai Design Week


On a farmland along the banks of the River Kaveri in Southern India, a seemingly ordinary agricultural by-product presents a vital way to re-look at the world, ‘a loofah landscape ’ in collaboration with Belavala Foundation. Working in tandem with the process of seed conservation,the fibres utilized are generated as a by-product. Sown, harvested, and stitched into glowing tapestries by the women and the men of the farm; this ordinary fibre, in the hands of ordinary people, witnesses an extraordinary transformation.

The loofah is derived from a gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca), a widely consumed vegetable that becomes a spongy fibre once dried. Its use as a sponge for both bathing and cleaning is not an uncommon practice in India. It is harvested, dried, peeled and soaked in water before being ready to use.

The installation comprised of ten 5’6” x 7’6” aluminium frames covered in the loofah fabric. Each “ fabric” was designed by first selecting loofahs of the appropriate size and shape and arranging them along the floor to form a cohesive pat tern. The arranged loofahs were then hand stitched to form these flowing golden tapestries.