Material Process
The salmon skins used throughout the project were sourced from kind local fishmongers in Edinburgh, making use of a by-product that would otherwise be discarded.
Developing the salmon leather involved extensive experimentation with different tanning, conditioning and dyeing techniques. Drawing on research into traditional fish skin tanning, I tested several methods, particularly tea-based tanning, before refining a process that produced a flexible, durable and translucent material suitable for use in lighting. The approach uses accessible, naturally derived ingredients without relying on conventional chrome tanning.
Further experiments explored natural dyes and colour treatments, including onion skins and iron sulphate. Each sample was assessed for its colour, texture, flexibility and translucency, helping inform the final material choices. Cod skin was also tested as an alternative, but proved less suitable for the intended application.
The experiments were documented through a labelled sample collection and an illustrated booklet, Salmon Leather: Contemporary Adaptations of Traditional Techniques, recording the research, techniques and development of the material.