Zest Bio-Pendant
A free-form lighting pendant, consisting of a floating cascade of rings made entirely of homemade bio-foam colored with curry powder and seasoned salt.
CLIENT:
Completed in course curriculum.
Final project - Bio-Materials in the Dark
Instructor: Amanda Huhyn
COMPLETED:
04/23/2026
SKILLS LEARNED:
Bio-material exploration & assembly.
Illumination properties and prototyping.
PROCESS
I made about four batches of bio-foam which contained glycerin, gelatin, dish soap, and water. I hand mixed the first one and then used an electric mixer for the rest to incorporate more air. And colored them with curry powder, and seasoned salt.
I designed and 3D printed a 11×11 inch, pinstripe mold in Fusion 360 and Bambu Studio. I poured the gelatin like bio-foam into the mold and let cure for a week.
I cut the bio-foam, using the pinstriping as a guide to make sections of varying widths and glued them to pre-soldered rings I had made beforehand.
I used a curved sewing needle in order to seperate the bio foam from the soldered ring at four points.
I used earring brad’s in order to connect the rings from one end to another. This also meant each spacing was the same distance.
The bulb I had designed my project around was initially way too bright and was distracting to the actual form. I decided to use glass frost paint and sprayed two coats to diffuse the lightbulb’s brightness.
My bio-foam had cured for over a week at this point and had changed shape even more. I used extremely sharp brand new sewing scissors in order to precisely clean up the edges of each ring once assembled.
I modeled a ring for the base of the pendant as well as two rings for the top of the pendant as the bio foam rings started before the pendant itself and I thought the pendant was too contrasting to the form itself.