In the domestic sphere, rubber is a material that still falls firmly into the ‘unconventional’ category. Historically overlooked, it’s more often associated with utilitarian or industrial uses, sometimes with fetishistic connotations. However, in recent years, a number of designers have begun to explore its potential as a practical and unexpectedly refined material for interior objects (Rich Aybar LS Gomma and Study O Portable among them). One of the most compelling examples comes from Atelier Fomenta, a trio of designers from Montréal, Canada, who treat rubber almost like fabric – cutting, folding and rivetting it into tactile shelving, tables and lighting.
Working from their studio, the trio design and produce each piece themselves, developing their own methods for shaping rubber using tools and techniques borrowed from leatherwork
Founded in 2022 by Julia Arvelo, Florence Barnabé and Muriel Bentolila, the studio’s practice is driven by a curiosity for industrial, readily available materials, including rubber, steel and aluminium. The name Fomenta, derived from Latin, reflects a sense of motion – 'to keep the fire alive' or 'to stir change' – a theme that runs through their work.
We first encountered the studio's rubber lamps and furniture earlier this year at ‘Pot-au-feu’, a group exhibition presented by the Quebec collective Ensemble at DesignTO Festival. Tables with ‘rubber tablecloths’, folded shelving units and totemic cylindrical lamps stood out for their inventive construction and sense of humour.
Sheets of rubber are cut, folded and assembled by hand, then fixed using metal rivets – allowing the material’s elasticity and strength to define the structure
Each piece is made by the designers in their Montréal studio, where they have developed their own methods for working with natural and synthetic rubber from scratch – drawing on pattern-making and leatherwork, and using little more than cutters and hand tools. Sheets are folded, assembled and fixed with metal rivets, allowing the material’s inherent elasticity and strength to define the structure. Colours are integral to the rubber itself, limited to those available industrially – a constraint that subtly shapes the collection’s visual language.
The studio works with both natural rubber and synthetic neoprene, selecting each for its specific qualities, from flexibility to durability
The studio will make its European debut with two presentations during Milan Design Week 2026. We caught up with them to find out more.
Milan Design Week 2026: Atelier Fomenta on rubber, process and perception
Wallpaper*: How did you begin working with rubber as a material?
Atelier Fomenta: Almost as an accident. One of our models had black tape on it, which made it look like plastic. Then the question of material emerged, what if we use rubber? In front of our last studio, there was a leather store. It was so easy to just go in and ask for a scrap to play around with it. They had sheets of leather-topped rubber and that’s when we started flirting with the idea of building furniture with this bold yet soft material.
Colours are integral to the material and drawn from industrially available palettes, introducing a subtle constraint that informs the collection’s visual language
‘What we enjoy about working with rubber is that ambiguity – the way it pushes against the correctness of things’
Atelier Fomenta
W*: What does rubber allow you to do that other materials don’t?
AF: Rubber conforms to gesture and movement very easily – at least, from the rubber sheets that we use. It’s kind of the perfect mix between elasticity and rigidity. With simple constraints like folding and pinching, rubber can become surprisingly solid and hold weight. Through the objects we create, we emphasise the inherent quality of reflectivity and roundness of rubber.
Tables are formed from vertical tubes gathered into undulating, bound structures, topped with a single rubber sheet
W*: How did you approach translating the material into something more domestic, and are you interested in shifting how it’s perceived in this context?
AF: We tend to approach our objects as propositions that challenge conventions – not being made of traditional materials like metal or wood, yet still functioning as everyday objects. The connotations assigned to the objects are really just associations between material and context, but for us, it simply gives us more layers of meaning to work. Where and how they are placed has a big impact on how they are perceived. What we enjoy about working with rubber is that ambiguity – the way it pushes against the correctness of things.
‘Through the objects we create, we emphasise the inherent quality of reflectivity and roundness of rubber’
Atelier Fomenta
W*: What will you be showing in Milan, and how are the two presentations different?
AF: We will present the ‘Rubber Collection’ in Milan across two different settings. With [New York-based artist-led platform] Playinghouse, we will present the 'Rubber Tables' and 'Rubber Lamps' [at Alcova, within Franco Albini’s Villa Pestarini]; while at ‘Convey by Simple Flair’ [a group exhibition in a six-storey building by Ottavio Cabiati and Luigi Brambilla], we will feature a mini 'Rubber Library' alongside a 'Rubber Table'.
Showing in different places gives us a refreshed look at the objects that we live with on a daily basis by allowing them to exist in two different milieux and converse uniquely with each environmental context.
Stacked, cylindrical lamps translate the same language into lighting
W*: How would you describe the design scene in Montréal today? Is it a good place to be a designer? Why?
AF: Montréal still offers relatively affordable studio spaces where fabrication remains accessible. As a small island, it allows us to produce most of our work in close proximity, making day-to-day operations fluid.
Also, Montréal has a vibrant design scene, where many exhibitions and events take place, made with this DIY energy and a collective spirit. Ensemble (a local design collective) is a good example of designers joining forces and producing wild exhibitions from the grassroots. At the end of the day, being part of this group fosters community, culture and support for each other.
Fomenta's objects are on view from 20-26 April 2026 during Milan Design Week at:
Convey by Simple Flair, Via San Senatore 10, Milano
Palma by Playinghouse, Certosa District, Via Varesina 185, Milano
Shelving units take on a scalloped, folded form, with riveted seams creating pockets that hold objects
The ‘Rubber Collection’ will be presented across two locations during Milan Design Week, marking Atelier Fomenta’s first European showing