See more objects with the tag lighting, textile design, technology, reuse, weaving, portable, sustainable, learn, energy.

Object Timeline

  • We acquired this object.

2006

  • Work on this object began.

2016

2025

  • You found it!

Sierra Portable Light prototypes

This is a Project. It is dated 2006. Its medium is portable light mat and workshop lantern: woven aluminum textile, recyclable pet, flexible photovoltaics, semiconductors, flexible wireways; traditional integrated portable light textiles: acrylic yarn or natural wool, flexible semiconductor technologies.

Portable Light pieces are created by women in the Sierra Madre, Mexico, who weave the light technology into textiles using traditional techniques. Portable Light combines LEDs from pedestrian walk signals, switches from dishwashers, and rechargeable batteries from cell-phones. The units can be carried with their owners to provide access to light and power when needed. Users shape the light to their particular needs, using the textile surfaces to provide direct, reflected, or diffuse lighting, as needed for sandal making, repair work, weaving, and beading.

Its dimensions are

H x W x D (Portable light mat and workshop lantern (unfolded)): 71.1 × 35.6 × 2.5 cm (28 × 14 × 1 in.) H x W x D (Portable light mat and workshop lantern (folded)): 30.5 × 35.6 × 2.5 cm (12 × 14 × 1 in.) H x W x D (Traditional integrated portable light textiles): 20.3 × 15.2 × 1.3 cm (8 in. × 6 in. × 1/2 in.)

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/420778855/ |title=Sierra Portable Light prototypes |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=10 March 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>