This piece is the result of exploring how far I could push the organic properties of the vegetable. first, I looked at the different colours of dye I could produce by altering the PH level of red cabbage. I created a variety of different tiles, one being paper, using boiled and blended cabbage, another was translucent clay, using dehydrated cabbage matter, and the final, bioplastics. I tried 3 different batter recipes, eventually ending with one that used agar as the stabiliser. The final prototype tiles use a combination of dyed cotton, cabbage dye, dehydrated cabbage matter, tulle and the bioplastic batter all displayed on clear acrylic backing.

The final design is comprised of 20 cabbage tiles, all on acrylic backs, hanging from tension cables. The cabbage sits on the acrylic back via full thread hexagon bolts, the tulle is punched with eyelets to allow the bolts to hold it against the clear acrylic back, then through D rings that hold the back chain for the hanger hardware, with nuts and washers to fix it in place. I wanted the organic aesthetic of the cabbage tiles to contrast with the cold tension display system.

An ode to London’s unfamiliar queer history: Oscar Wilde’s Cabbage.