In a quiet studio in Aberdeen, Scotland, discarded timber finds a second life. Offcuts that would otherwise end up in a skip are sorted, sanded, and reshaped into wooden signs, sculptural pieces, and gallery works that have found their way into exhibitions far beyond the city’s craft fairs.
This is the practice of Rang Iliya, founder of HOP Creations, an artist who has built a career, and a philosophy, on the belief that nothing should go to waste, least of all stories.
Iliya’s path to woodworking began far from a workshop bench. Trained in architecture, she has long been drawn to the place where art, design, and function meet: the conviction that an object should do more than simply exist. “I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of art, design, and functionality,” she says of her early influences.
That architectural sensibility, proportion, structure, and intention, still shapes the way she approaches a piece of wood today. In 2016, she founded HOP Creations with a clear mission: to give creativity and bold thinking a home, particularly for young people searching for an outlet.
The studio, built on local resources and a restless curiosity, became a gathering place for art enthusiasts. It was during the stillness of the 2020 lockdown that Iliya turned her attention to sign making, a craft that let her translate architectural precision into something tactile and lasting.
