Stunning Lunar Table Mimics the Moon with Molten Aluminum

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

Designer, maker, crafter and artist Jesse Ede creates sculptural furniture inspired by raw nature. Due to his background in art and carpentry, his pieces are both aesthetically fascinating and structurally advanced. With both of these equally important design interests in mind, Ede has crafted Lunar Table, a one-of-a-kind and otherworldly creation.

Simply composed of an aluminum table top penetrated by a monolithic slate stone, Lunar Table looks like something straight from outer space. To create the piece, Ede and his team first selected the right slate stone. They then constructed a shallow, round mold around the rock, and, through a process of smelting and open cast pouring, filled it with molten aluminum. Once cooled, the aluminum was transformed into a tabletop with an “exquisite muted silver surface” reminiscent of the moon.

With its minimal design and two-piece construction, Lunar Table simultaneously represents the inherent relationship and apparent juxtaposition between natural materials and manufactured products—a theme also apparent in Ede's similar creation, Lunar Bench. “In his work, Ede is drawn to more natural materials, ones that do not necessarily appear ‘finished,’” his website states. “He enjoys capturing the rough nature of truly organic surfaces, manipulating them to expose the contrast between the material itself and the man-made processes that form them into sculptures. Ultimately, he looks to celebrate the rawness of uncontrollable outcomes, from processes that are uncommonly used.”

Polished yet experimental, Lunar Table beautifully symbolizes the push and pull between wild nature and artistic creation.

The creation of Lunar Table by Jesse Ede called for a multi-step, experimental process.

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

First, Ede selected a slate stone from a nearby quarry in Cape Town.

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

It was then cut and placed within a shallow mold.

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

The mold was filled with molten aluminum.

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

Once it cooled, the mold was removed and the moon table was complete.

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

lunar table jesse ede aluminum smelting aluminum table moon table smelted

Jesse Ede: Website | Instagram
h/t: [Not Cot]

All images via Devin Paisley.

Kelly Richman-Abdou

Kelly Richman-Abdou was a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. An art historian living in Paris, Kelly was born and raised in San Francisco and holds a BA in Art History from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. When she’s not writing, you can find Kelly wandering around Paris, whether she’s leading a tour (as a guide, she has been interviewed by BBC World News America and France 24) or simply taking a stroll with her husband and two tiny daughters.
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