Box Elder / Manitoba Maple

Box Elder, or Manitoba Maple, is often regarded as a fragile tree — prone to splitting, storm damage, and collapse under the weight of ice. Yet despite its brittleness, it persists. It survives drought, extreme cold, poor soil, and the shifting conditions that many other species cannot tolerate.

I am drawn to this contradiction. Inside the wood are soft transitions of colour, layered grain patterns, and traces of stress accumulated over decades of growth. The material carries both vulnerability and endurance.

The works in the 25 Collection were created from a fallen Box Elder removed from a neighbouring property after it began damaging surrounding structures. Rather than treating the tree as debris, the collection reconsiders the material as something transitional — suspended between utility, memory, and renewal.