Hilla Shamia: Heavy Metal Tree Hugger

Hillia Shamia takes wood working to another level. She was at the end of her four years as a product designer in Israel searching for a way to do something unexpected and fun with natural materials.  Her quest led her to experiment with taking entire cypress and eucalyptus trees and pouring molten aluminum directly onto their surfaces.  The hot metal burned off the exterior part of the tree and the molten aluminm leaked into the nooks and crannies.  When cooled, she cut the cast's surface to create the beautiful pieces shown below. 

The metal casting is a labor-intensive process; takign up to two weeks to perfect.

The "leakage" of the molten aluminum carbonizing into the nooks and crannies of the wood is the secret the success of each piece

The cooled log with legs on either side is now cut down the center and cleaned up.

The final shapes are perfect for tables and benches and Hillia takes orders directly from her website.  She currently lives and works in Tel Aviv. 

Sources: Hillia Shamia