folded tiles by raw-edges for mutina

folded tiles by raw-edges for mutina

for their collaboration with italian company mutina, london-based design studio raw-edges (yael mer and shay akalay) wanted to translate the effect of creased paper to ceramics. their ‘folded’ tiles express the subtle lines and textures which are a result of gently handling delicate sheets of the material. in choosing a particular pattern to apply the folds, the duo drew visual references from the traditional ceramic patterns common to apartments in their native tel aviv during the fifties and sixties. still popular today, the designers have attempted to recreate this aesthetic based on alternating colours, simply by using folded lines.

‘folded’ used as a floor tile

the series is made-up of three mixed pattern tiles: minifolded, midfolded and maxifolded, each one measuring 60×60 cm with a 10mm thickness. the pieces are cast using unglazed homogenous porcelain stoneware making them resistant to deep abrasion, chemicals and acids, frostproof and anti-slip, thus rendering them suitable for application in large areas with high traffic. the material from which ‘folded’ is made has so many characters and features which have the ability to be cast in such unexpected forms and shapes that the resulting surfaces seem elusive and deceiving.

the tile design is suitable for both floor and wall application

a wall tiled with ‘folded’

sheets of paper have actually been folded into each pattern to create each mould for which to cast the tiles, whereby

one of the finished patterns

the folded paper pattern set into a box mould ready for casting

pouring the porcelain into the mould

revealing the result

the three mixed pattern tiles: minifolded, midifolded, maxfolded