When I first had my brainstorm about designing tiles, I was driven simply by the beautiful colours of Noreen Jaafar’s Persian glazes. I kept dreaming about all the different ways these colours could be used in simple designs and layouts, and then I finally, finally took the plunge and asked Noreen if she would make me samples for my own range. Phew! The first step on a long road, and a big commitment to turning a private passion into a commercial endeavour. Would other people love the colours and have the curiosity and imagination to use them to their full advantage? Yes, fortunately, I am finding the designers amongst you!
There’s no doubt they are ‘of the moment’. Patterned tiles are enjoying a renaissance; geometric patterns are absolutely on trend. But ‘of the moment’ can be a fleeting trend when it becomes mainstream, and then, almost inevitably, passé. Millennium Pink anyone?
Persian Glazes have the pedigree to outlast trend. This is because my clients and I are able to put our own stamp on these beautiful handmade tiles with their unique colours and glazes. If together we seek to create tomorrow’s heritage tiles, would that be too lofty a purpose?
I only ask this because the passion for pattern in my internet meanderings, chiefly via Pinterest, has led me to discover the heritage of the most amazing tile artists. Some – like Coletiva Muda, Alexandre Mancini, Bruna Albuquerque (Lurca Azulejos), Cecil Touchon and Popham Design, to name but a few – are of contemporary times; others such as Athos Bulcao, Roger Capron and Oscar Niemayer span the 20th century. What an inspiration, and how they have expanded the purpose of tiles in modern times!
So – my passion for the colours of Persian Glazes has led me to unwittingly follow a very famous tile tradition. And it started me thinking about how these weatherproof tiles might be used in gardens, public spaces, urban settings, foyers; a little bit of fun and brightness just where you least expected to find it. The spirit of Coletivo Muda could be found anywhere in the world! Happy New Year!
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