Hilla Shamia Blends Tree Trunks and Aluminum into Beautifully Imperfect Furniture
Tel Aviv-based designer Hilla Shamia has a thing for what she calls “controlled imperfections.” And this particular interest is what makes her Wood Casting furniture line so poetic and special. Hilla’s unique tables, stools, and benches are made by casting molten aluminum into wood—an unusual pairing of two very different elements that when fused not only reveal surprising details, but a third element born from the unlikely marriage.
Hilla’s wonderful furniture is the result of an unusual combination between a metallic, resistant material and an organic, more pliable one. The seating is made by first splitting full-length tree trunks into halves, which are then inserted into a mold with the shape of the desired design. From there, molten aluminum is poured over the wood, filling any voids to complete the piece.
When the heat of the metal burns the log’s edges, it creates a line of charcoal between the two materials. This “third material” (the charcoal) enhances the aesthetic further while also strengthening the form.
Hilla says of her design: “The dark coal narrates the love story between the [wood and aluminum], emphasizing their initial meeting, outlining a sense of continuation, and maintaining a sense of flow even when the two materials are solid and strong, just like the dynamics between an elderly couple.”
The Wood Casting furniture line was developed as her graduate project while at the Department of Industrial Design at Holon Institute of Technology.
You can see more striking pieces by Hilla Shamia here.
Photos courtesy of Hilla Shamia
[Via Dezeen]
