15 Canadian design talents test the boundaries of aluminium

Aluminium is centre stage for a new exhibition in Toronto showcasing how 15 Canadian talents mould and anodise the machined material

Curved metal designs
Left, Conduit wall vase by Zoe Mowat. Right, Stutter light by Calen Knauf
(Image credit: Zoe Mowat, Calen Knauf)

Aluminium may not have the nobility of bronze or the warmth of wood, but the utilitarian material is the unexpected focal point of a showcase of Canadian design, opening in Toronto this weekend. Organised by MSDS Studio and designer Jamie Wolfond, ‘Aluminum Group’ brings together new work from 15 of Canada’s brightest design talents who have each created objects made out of machined aluminium. Ranging from practical prototypes to pieces of sculpture, the diverse showcase casts the versatility of this oft-overlooked material into the fore.

‘The show is really about the material and the process together,’ explains MSDS Studio’s Jonathan Sabine. ‘Aluminium is a relatively soft material, but it is hard enough to hold very tight tolerances and sharp edges, so it’s ideal for machining. It can be anodised afterwards, which is a finish that adds basically no thickness, so it retains a fresh-off-the-mill feel.

Participating designers were presented with a simple brief: the design must be made by machining solid aluminium and was something that they felt was truly beautiful. ‘Machining is one of the cornerstones of modern fabrication but it’s labour intensive, and as labour costs have risen in the west, it’s become kind of a luxury.’ Sabine continues. ‘A combination of CNC technology and the rise of high-skill prototyping shops in other parts of the world have made a show like this possible. As people interested in object making, it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.’

Black tubes & bowl

(Image credit: Anony)

Red metal wall hook

Above, Temp by Anony. Below, Omega by Caine Heintzman

(Image credit: Caine Heintzman)

‘We wanted to create a moment for independent Canadian designers that would be relevant both inside and outside the Canadian design community.’ Jamie Wolfond explains. ‘I had been working with an incredibly talented aluminium machining factory in Shenzhen, which makes high tech machining very accessible. So Jonathan had the idea to combine these interests.’

With works ranging from minimalist trays and vessels to Rachel Bussin’s clever ice cube tray and more complex designs such as Anony’s tableware collection and Wolfond’s highly machined Frog Vase, the material appeal of aluminium has progressed far beyond its industrial roots.

‘Aluminium is a ubiquitous material. We interact with it all the time. What gives these pieces their unique but consistent quality is the process of machining.’ Wolfond says. ‘To make something in large production runs, it’s generally most efficient to work with aluminium in castings or sheet metal. Since the work for this show was made in editions of one or two pieces, we had the opportunity to work subtractively, which, in combination with anodising, creates uncannily perfect objects.’

Black telescope

Telescope by Castor

(Image credit: Castor)

Red interlocking boxes

Compound Bowl by Geof Ramsay

(Image credit: Geof Ramsay)

Silver metal cylinder with silver plate

Thread Lamp by Jamie Wolfond

(Image credit: Jamie Wolfond)

Silver table with glass on top

Folding Table by MSDS

(Image credit: MSDS)

Silver bowls & vases

Gasket Vessels by Tom Chung

(Image credit: Tom Chung)

Silver metallic tubes

Conduit wall vase by Zoe Mowat

(Image credit: Zoe Mowat)

INFORMATION

‘Aluminum Group’ is on view 16-19 January at ESP | Erin Stump Projects. erinstumpprojects.com

ADDRESS

558 Dupont Street

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.

Read more
Ensemble 2 exhibition designTO toronto
Toronto’s DesignTO 2025 highlights – design and art to see across the city
CC-Tapis India Mahdavi
'A shifting and rolling salon' Matter and Shape is back for its second edition in Paris.
Matt Paweski, Chair 1 (Melon) Chair 2 (Butter) Chair 3 (Avocado) Chair 4 (Rootbeer) Work Table (Melon), 2023. Birch plywood, aluminium, aluminium hardware, enamel. Courtesy: Herald St, London
Our highlights from FOG Design + Art 2025 in San Francisco
design biennale rotterdam
Inside the Design Biennale Rotterdam 2025: how the Dutch underdog became a design capital
AA show view Distillation of Architecture
From a mobile pub to a thatched canopy: Japanese architecture and craft explored at AA show in London
Our design & interiors winners, gathered together in a shoot for the February 2025 issue of Wallpaper*. Interiors by Olly Mason. Photography by Leandro Farina. Set build by London Art Makers. LED screen installation by KitMapper. Floral designer, Alina Dheere. Photography assistant, Nick Howe. Interiors assistant, Archie Thomson. Production assistant, Ady Huq. Details for all products featured are listed below
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: the best furniture and design objects for 2025
Latest in Design Events
Design Space LA art fair
Basic.Space launches its first IRL shopping event – in an empty West Hollywood mall
Serre Pasino
What to see at Milan Design Week 2025
TEFAF White glove moment
TEFAF Maastricht 2025 is a brush with wonderfully niche art, design and antiquities
design biennale rotterdam
Inside the Design Biennale Rotterdam 2025: how the Dutch underdog became a design capital
Lisson Gallery India Art Fair
Highlights from the India Art Fair
Clock at Stockholm Design Week
A postcard from Stockholm Design Week 2025
Latest in Feature
the toteme store in China by herzog & de meuron
Bold, geometric minimalism rules at Toteme’s new store by Herzog & de Meuron in China
zaha hadid architects future projects
The upcoming Zaha Hadid Architects projects set to transform the horizon
black and white image of kitchen
‘La Cocina’: the kitchen is a chaotic melting pot of contemporary culture in Alonso Ruizpalacios’ new film
lean lui guide to hong kong
A local’s guide to Hong Kong, by photographer Lean Lui
people at watch show
What can we expect from Watches and Wonders 2025?
Perfume Genius Glory album artwork
Inside the visual universe of Perfume Genius