Wood Casting Furniture
by Hilla Shamia
From the pictures above we can see a series of furniture realized by Israely based product designer Hilla Shamia; who refers to this innovative method as wood casting.
The design combines organic material with abstract forms, intensifying the artificial feeling and at the same time keeping the memory of the material.
Most of the time, during the manufacturing process, materials are being elaborated and treated in a way you can not tell what they were before. Nowadays design is more concerned on hiding and appealing temporary tendencies rather than show how things are.
This is why I really appreciate Shamia’s work. She shows how things are and through her work you can see the materials, exploring the texture and understanding the process. I like her furniture even though are not elaborated pieces because they look rough and unfinished but these characteristics exalt and let us concentrate on the beauty of the details that make the piece unique and beautiful.
Image (Wood detail after being casted, 2016) (Hilla Shamia)
Casting wood process
Hilla Shamia, in an interview to Dezeen magazine, said that the casting is like a drama, accompanied by high heat, flames and smoke. This drama produces a third material called: ‘coal’. The designer explains the role of the coal through a romantic narrative in fact she said:” 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 an elderly couple”. (Dezeen, 2015)
I considered her way of explaining her work truly original. When I first saw her work I have been attracted by the combination of the two materials (wood and aluminum) and what appealed me the most was the “coal” which represented the moment when the aluminum touched the skin of the wood for the first time and the high temperature burnt it. The romantic narrative that she used to explain her work made me understand even more the process and appreciate her work.
Process:
Molten of aluminum is spread over the wood . The heat of the metal burns the edges of the natural material and creates a dark line of charcoal between the two materials.
The piece of trunk is sectioned into square forms.
Individual sections are then divided by different size frames (in according to the piece of furniture that you would like to create) use to create the metal body of the furniture.
The hot liquid metal is poured into the molds and then removed when the aluminum is completely set. (designboom | architecture & design magazine, 2012)
Image (Cast aluminum and tree trunk furniture, 2016) (Hilla Shamia)
The charring also causes further splitting in the wood which allow the aluminum to penetrate easily in the structure and creating a strong bond when the liquid solidifies. (Homeli, 2014)
Image (Wood casting process, 2016) (Hilla Shamia)
In the picture above we can see the wood casting forniture being made. Every wood casting is unique due to the natural material used and the minimal craftsmanship involved in their making. Each piece of timber has got different splits from the drying process; for example some splits run all the way through the piece of furniture, which make the aluminum and its charring effect even more evident in the final outcome. (Homeli, 2014)
Image (Hilla Shamia, 2016)
References:
- designboom | architecture & design magazine, (2012). wood casting by hilla shamia. [online] Available at: http://www.designboom.com/readers/wood-casting-by-hilla-shamia/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2015].
- Dezeen, (2015). Hilla Shamia casts tree trunks with aluminium to form furniture. [online] Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2015/01/04/hilla-shamia-wood-casting-furniture-collection-tree-trunks-molten-aluminium/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2015].
- Homeli, (2014). Wood Casting by Hilla Shamia: Molten Aluminium and Charred Wood Furniture - Homeli. [online] Available at: http://homeli.co.uk/wood-casting-by-hilla-sharmia-molten-aluminium-and-charred-wood-furniture/ [Accessed 8 Nov. 2015].
- Hilla Shamia, (2016). Cast aluminum and tree trunk furniture. [online image] Available at: http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/01/Cast-Aluminium-and-Tree-Trunk-Furniture-by-Hilla-Shamia-Studio_14-537x383.jpg [Accessed 7 Nov. 2015].
- Hilla Shamia, (2016). Wood splits allow aluminum to create a more solid structure. [online image] Available at: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5FZCWN2tCxg/U-Fp839He_I/AAAAAAAA8J8/BlQ-pQ3fCCA/s1600/dailyimpulse-hilla-shamia-wood-casting-t-660x350.jpg [Accessed 7 Nov. 2015].
- Hilla Shamia, (2016). Wood casting process. [online image] Available at: http://www.hillashamia.com/content/3.projects/15.wood/02.jpg [Accessed 7 Nov. 2015].
- Hilla Shamia, (2016). wood casting furniture design. [online image] Available at: http://homeideasmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/1-wood-casting.jpg [Accessed 7 Nov. 2015].
- Hilla Shamia, (2016). Wood casting furniture design 2. [online image] Available at: http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/user_submit/2012/04/copy_4_6.jpg [Accessed 7 Nov. 2015].
- Hilla Shamia, (2016). Wood detail after being casted. [online image] Available at: http://www.freshpaint.co.il/sites/default/files/styles/fresh_paint_node_image/public/projects/5._wood_casting_hilla_shamia.jpg?itok=n_9ISIWL [Accessed 7 Nov. 2015].
