October 13, 2024
Design
Kate Mothes

All images courtesy of Studio ARP

Around the frame of a spherical pendant lamp, designer Alkesh Parmar wraps an unexpected shade. Through Studio Arp, his ongoing project Citrus Sinensis reimagines orange peel waste into a leather-like, organic patchwork fabric that can be applied to an array of functional and decorative objects.

In biological terms, Citrus sinensis refers to the species of sweet citrus achieved by hybridizing pomelos and mandarins to include produce familiar supermarket varieties like Valencia, blood, and navel oranges.

Parmar salvages discarded rinds. In an intentionally low-tech process he calls APeel, he shapes and stitches the pieces together while still pliable. His lighting design, “APeel Skin,” employs the sewn fabric like a natural screen that both softens and warms its glow.

The project simultaneously calls on traditional craft practices like sewing and textiles while pushing the boundaries of objects we might not typically associate with that application.

More: A Patchwork of Orange Peels Envelops a Contemporary Pendant Lamp