Sisal

Year: 2024
Project Type: Professional, Made in Earth Collective
Team: Shruthi Ramakrishna (Partner), Jeremie Gaudin (Partner), Agnimitra Bachi (Partner), Kune Yatheesh, Rosna Saji, Nikhita Ramdas
Location: Kuderu, Karnataka
Exhibition: Milan Design Week


At the edge of a tranquil village, lies a small patch of land where the timeless artistry of sisal rope makers comes to life. Sisal (Agave sisalana), with their sturdy leaves and quiet resilience, stand at the borders of farmlands, their presence as much poetic as it is practical. These living fences not only define the contours of one’s land but also guard it, keeping wandering cattle at bay and protecting the tender crops within.

The people of Kuderu have an innate gift for turning the mundane into the extraordinary, weaving beauty from the simplest of things. For generations, they’ve relied on the gentle hum of a sugarcane engine to draw out the precious golden fibres of the agave plant. In the skilled hands of Kuderu’s women, this humble fibre transforms into ropes and mats, each strand carrying whispers of tradition and the quiet magic of their craft.

For this piece, it was clear that a solid bust form would not bring out the whimsy of the fibre. The fibres were going to be left long, but the question was how best to stitch them together? With only a limited raw material, we looked towards wig making. I scoured the internet to find videos showing how wigs were made and tried to weave a small patch on a netted fabric. Successful? Yes. Time consuming? Also yes. Luckily, we found Nagaraj, a costume designer and wig maker who made wigs for the Kannada film industry. He told us stories of how sisal fibres were traditionally used to make wigs for theatre performances. He was able to stich the fibres into long wefts which we could piece together for the final cloak. To add contrast, we tried dyeing the fibres and settled on ebonizing the sisal. Dipping the fibres into an iron acetate solution which was made by soaking iron nails is vinegar for 48 hours, gave the fibres a regal copper colour which contrasted beautifully with the natural golden strands.