Steam Bending
Elke uses steam bending to create her designs. Steam bending is a woodworking technique where wood is exposed to steam to make it pliable. Heat and moisture from steam can soften wood fibres enough so they can be bent and stretched, and when cooled down they will hold their new shape. She mostly uses ash wood because of its straight grain, which makes it possible to achieve curves with a smaller radius. But she also bends oak and beech.
Although the preparations for steam bending are very time consuming, the actual bending needs to be quick. Otherwise, the wood will cool down too much.
Because wood is a living material, the bent shapes are never identical and may shift slightly in form depending on the indoor climate.