Studio Kloak

Studio Kloak, a Chicago based design studio founded by Professor CoCo Ree Lemery of the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, debuts with a new translucent bio-based material made from onion skins for The New State of Materials. After developing hundreds of experimental samples, one of the world’s most common kitchen discards was transformed into a flexible, luminous material designed for lighting applications.

The onion skin bio-based material is fully biodegradable and uses agricultural waste that would otherwise be discarded. Through a proprietary binding and layering process, the skins are consolidated into thin sheets that maintain the natural fibers and subtle color variations of the onion, creating a warm, diffused glow when illuminated. The material is lightweight, translucent, and capable of being formed into sculptural lamp shades.

By transforming a humble food byproduct into a functional lighting material, the project reframes waste as a valuable resource while encouraging reflection on the extractive materials traditionally used in lighting, from alabaster to stalactite stone.

Developed as part of Studio Kloak’s broader research into sustainable material systems, the work explores how bio-based materials can be produced at multiple scales – from global manufacturing to experimentation by curious makers at home.