Hilla Shamia

Hilla Shamia (Hebrew: הילה שמיע, b. 1983) is an Israeli product designer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Her works are included in Israel Museum collection as well as in Serge Tiroche collection.
Biography.
Upon graduating her Industrial Design studies at Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) in 2011, Shamia opened an independent design studio. The studio focuses on material research and development of forms, whilst drawing tremendous inspiration from the process of time and the supposed imperfections found in nature. Shamia is married to Lior Yamin, an industrial designer and owner of SAGA and Asufa. In Israel, Shamia is represented by SAGA.
Wood Casting™.
Shamia’s acclaimed Wood Casting™ furniture is made in a unique technique developed by Shamia of casting aluminium or brass on natural wood. It seeks to capture the unpredictable and dramatic encounter between the natural elements of wood and metal. It has been featured in major international design magazines such as Wallpaper, Dezeen, Viewpoint, Financial Times, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest and Cosmopolitan, and has been included in major design shows such as London Design Week, Milan Design Week, Ambiente, Frankfurt, and Pitti Filati, Florence. Each piece is hand made and completely one-of-a-kind due to the various trees used and depending on the “leakage” of the metal throughout the wood cracks.
Other works.
Alongside the Wood Casting™ series, the studio is also known for its wooden pendulum clocks, which distill an essence of a time with their minimal design. Currently, Shamia is working with glass, and has recently published her Cactus series, including sculptures and light fixtures. These are made in a traditional crafted glassblowing technique, which imply a classic aesthetic, but the comical shape of the cactus grants the object its lightness and humor. Recently, Shamia displayed her glass-made interpretation for eyewear, at the exhibition 'Overview' at Holon Design Museum.
Collaborations.
In 2015 Shamia collaborated with Ido Garini, the founder of Studio Appétit, and displayed her project 'Or Brulee' at the 'Things of Edible Beauty' exhibition at 2015 Milan Design Week. It was the first time that The Wood Casting technology was combined blackened wood with brass™.
During her residency at Yeruham Design Terminal, Shamia collaborated with the glass factory Phoenicia, and designed a glass bottle through a disturbance in the factory's 24/7 assembly line.
Later that year, as part of 'Syndicate' exhibition, Shamia collaborated with the illustrator Miki Mottes on their Totem project. Based on Mottes' illustration, Shamia created totem-like objects, made in a traditional glass blowing technique.
Residencies.
2015 – Yeruham Design Terminal, Yeruham, Israel
Prizes.
2013 – Nominated for the ‘German Design Award 2013’