studio bycolor deconstructs seaweed pigment to craft cotton, silk, and wool tiles

NORI PIGMENT: Pigment from the Sea

Exploring an intricate interplay between colors and materiality, STUDIO BYCOLOR presents NORI PIGMENT: Pigment from the Sea. The project delves into the deep black hues of seaweed, deconstructing its beauty while unravelling the essence of seaweed itself through the lens of pigment exploration. Red algae, a fundamental pigment in nori, plays a critical role in nutrient acquisition for seaweed in the ocean. To visually capture the concealed red hues within the black laver, the studio has created panels and tiles utilizing cotton, silk, wool, and traditional Japanese paper-making techniques. Led by Kaori Akiyama, soil from Mino, Japan, has been filtered through unglazed clay to the same size as seaweed. Just as the seaweed can be cut into various pieces for consumption, the dyed patterns reflect the diversity of its preparation, ranging from two to twelve pieces.

studio bycolor’s panels extract and deconstruct nori’s hues

Nori, a staple in sushi and rice balls, has long been valued for its dark profile and rich nutritional content in Japanese cuisine. Much like the amalgamation of red, blue, and yellow pigments yielding black in paint, the richness in taste of nori correlates with its depth of color. Ingredients such as phycoerythrin, chlorophyll, phycocyanin, and carotenoid contribute to its gradation. Through experimentation in color extraction, the team at STUDIO BYCOLOR has uncovered the pivotal role of phycoerythrin in oceanic photosynthesis — an echo of its role in forest ecosystems where sunlight is difficult to reach. 

project info:

name: NORI PIGMENT: Pigment from the Sea
designer: STUDIO BYCOLOR
lead designer: Kaori Akiyama

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