Arunas Oslapas is a professor of Industrial design at Western Washington  University. In his classroom, as well as in his art, Oslapas inspires people to reclaim the world around them. Oslapas’ work can be found in collections and galleries across the country and are gaining in popularity as more and more collectors search for sustainable art.

Arunas Oslapas spends most of his academic months experimenting and learning design principles with his passionate university students as they collectively attempt to understand the profession of industrial design.  Oslapas attended Montana State University and the University of Illinois. He started his career in Chicago as an architectural space planner and draftsman and taught at Kendall College of Art & Design and  Brigham Young University, before accepting his current position at Western Washington University.

Oslapas’ recycled metal baskets and receptacles are fabricated from spring steel banding which is commonly used for strapping lumber and other industrial materials. It is found virtually outside every  lumber yard, hardware store, or any business that receives palletized goods.  Approximately 60% of metal banding today is currently recycled while the other 40% ends up in dumpsters. Each basket is hand woven from selected pieces of reclaimed banding guaranteeing that no two are exactly alike. The steel banding is wildly unmanageable and the challenge  of taming this sharp, spring-loaded material requires a great deal of patience and craftsmanship.

Artist Statement: Industrial ‘raw’ materials are discarded daily around us and often in large volumes. Finding a steady source of reusable waste and creatively incorporating it into my functional art brings me great satisfaction. My mind and hands are heavily exercised as I search for new materials to reclaim and experiment with new applications and methods of fabrication. Most of my work is done 3-dimensionally and is dictated by the limitations and nature of the material. Although the days of roaming the landfills and beachcombing the dumps are gone, the garbage continues to flow. Finding a way to intercept it, tame it, and give it new life brings me great joy.