Take one look at an empty soda can, and you may think “trash,” but to sculptor Noah Deledda, he sees an aluminum canvas ripe for setting his hands on to create something truly unique.

Though Noah is a sculptor by profession, he doesn’t work with just any sort of wood, rock, or conventional metal. Neither does he use conventional tools. His claim to fame is his ability to use nothing but his hands to pound, press, and crease patterns onto commercial aluminum soda cans and turn them into one-of-a-kind sculptures.

YouTube video

Anyone looking at the finished product might think these intricate and consistent patterns were machine-pressed. After scratching off the labels and polishing it with sandpaper, Noah takes each soda can into his masterful hands and carefully measures every crease he presses. Using a ruler, his thumbs, and a boatload of talent, this hands-on approach ensures every soda can is left with its own unique pattern.

YouTube video

The philosophy behind his art is to create something out of an ordinary object. Inspired by the natural bumps, bends, and dents soda cans get whenever they’re thrown away, Noah is able to come up with a seemingly infinite number of patterns.

It may look easy, but the sculpting techniques he uses on such a finicky material are the result of years of practice and trial-and-error. You can find more of Noah’s soda can sculptures on his webpage as well as his YouTube channel, where his videos detail the sculpting process and the ideation behind them.

Author

Carlos wrestles gators, and by gators, we mean words. He also loves good design, good books, and good coffee.