Robert Carter May 8, 2018:

Isamar Thank you, yes, I do understand what plywood is, I've just never heard it called "madera en chapas". Plywood has several names in Spanish, in Mexico we call it "triplay" for example, but I can't find any references where it's called "madera en chapas". Your references refer to "madera de chapa" and "chapas de madera".

El contrachapado, también conocido como multilaminado, plywood, triplay o madera terciada, es un tablero elaborado con finas chapas de madera pegadas con las fibras transversalmente una sobre la otra con resinas sintéticas mediante fuerte presión y calor. Esta técnica mejora notablemente la estabilidad dimensional del tablero obtenido respecto de madera maciza.
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrachapado

Perhaps it is indeed called this in Argentina, but if that's the case, then what would they call a wood laminate or veneer? Plywood is a relatively unattractive form of wood, whereas the purpose of a veneer is to give a finish of a hard wood such as oak, teak, mahogany, etc., that has attractive grain but would otherwise be expensive and heavy to use as solid/structural pieces.

Isamar May 7, 2018:

Robert, https://www.pinterest.es/pin/539165386619681063/?lp=true here is a photo of the side so that you can see the (ply) layers/chapas that make up the piece of wood in the first photo. Chapa can also just be a layer of veneer, but as the question says 'chapas' that could imply layers which is what plywood is as opposed to chipboard that only has a layer/chapa of thin wood on the outside. If the asker has a photo of a piece of the artist's work in this material, it would help. See this too http://www.archiexpo.es/prod/metsaewood/product-60821-672290...