EWE Studio Reinterprets Purépecha Sand Casting Techniques
The Exhuma dining table is three meters sculptural piece of EWE Studio which combines the handmade green marble with cast aluminumbased on ancestral Purépecha sand casting techniques to explore the relationship between material, craft and contemporary design.
THE table is the latest addition to EWE Studio’s Exhuma collection, which references pre-Hispanic techniques and Purépecha metallurgy. The collection examines ancestral knowledge and material practices passed down through generations, adapting historic casting methods to a contemporary collectible design language. The technique behind Exhuma is an adaptation of casting methods used by the Purépechas around 1450 AD. The metal was melted and poured in liquid form into molds made of materials such as clay, sand, charcoal or stone. Once the metal solidified, the mold was broken to release the object, which was then polished using stones.
For the Exhuma collection, EWE Studio reinterprets this process through contemporary materials and craftsmanship, preserving the variations and traces associated with the casting process. The approach emphasizes the physical properties of materials and the marks created during construction.
all images ©Rosa Peralta
Hand carved marble and cast aluminum from Dazzling Table
For the Exhuma Dining Room, the Studio based in Mexico City combines a green marble surface three meters long with cast aluminum base. Aluminum is formed using a hand-defined sand mold into which molten metal is poured. After casting, the surface is carefully polished to preserve the natural form created during the casting process, allowing subtle irregularities and manufacturing traces to remain visible.
Measuring 308 × 135 × 77.5 cm, the table combines the solidity of hand-carved stone with the fluid qualities of cast metal. The contrast between the two materials establishes the table’s formal and tactile character, while highlighting the different processes involved in shaping each element.
The piece continues the Exhuma collection’s exploration of metalwork in the Purépecha culture, where metal objects, including tajaderos, ornaments, and jewelry, had social, economic, political, and sacred significance. Translating these ancestral techniques into a contemporary piece of furniture, the Exhuma Dining Table by EWE Studio examines how the knowledge and craftsmanship of materials continue to influence perceptions of value and design.
the finished Exhuma dining table, which combines hand-cut green marble with die-cast aluminium
The handcrafted green marble contrasts with the fluid form of the cast aluminum
Molten aluminum is poured into a sand mold to create the base of the table
