At the beginning of this project within the "Color and Material Design" course, we were asked to choose a material to work with being the options metal, textile, plastic, light and solar cells. I decided to work with metal as I never worked with this material before. We started in teams by experimenting with different metals using simple tools to get to know the material and its possibilities. After one week we had nearly 200 flat samples with different treatements. The next step was to translate these into 3D shapes. During the experimental work I found out that the metal that fascinates me the most is copper. It is smooth, soft and shiny, easy to deform, creates an amazing colour range through heating and also through the reaction with acid.The way how it reflects the light and gets a different character in different light conditions also inspired me.

My aim for this project was to surprise people with copper as it surprised me. Showing the beauty and versatility of this material revealing the unseen and going beyond the traditional and usual. I wanted to create a visual illusion making the copper look something unexpected with simple methods. For my final product collection I focused on the copper colour palette and the process of transforming the material. The simple forms achieved by hammering or pressing show the colour range copper can get through different stages of heat colouring and also through the reaction with acid.

This project was part of the "Enter and Encounter" exhibition in the Helsinki Design Museum from 23rd of March to the 23rd of October 2017.