Samer Bou Rjeily’s works are created using natural – and often distressed – materials, which he upcycles into beautiful functional objects and designs. Untitled is composed of two main elements: a tree trunk and a long wooden plank. The trunk segments are from a pine tree that is over 200 years old which the designer came across in Lebanon after it had been uprooted by an unusually powerful storm. Both the trunk and the plank have been treated with shou sugi ban, an 18th century Japanese method of preserving wood by charring it with fire. Bou Rjeily thus reflects on the duality of one of nature’s most volatile elements: having destroyed numerous forests in Lebanon in recent years, fire is conversely used here to protect and weatherproof wood, ensuring its longevity.