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Three Elements, One Matter: the ceramic surface according to Kengo Kuma
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Earth collection, designed by Kengo Kuma, Ceramica Francesco De Maio
Kengo Kuma's new project for Ceramica Francesco De Maio is the result of a shared vision of the material as a living organism and of the artisanal gesture as a design act. In a dialogue between light, nature and space
Created in collaboration between Kengo Kuma and Ceramica Francesco De Maio, the “Three Elements, One Matter” project is articulated around three primary elements - Rain, Mist, Earth - translated into ceramic surfaces through a vocabulary that intertwines contemporary research and the tradition of hand-decorated Vietri maiolica.
Not just coverings, but perceptual devices that activate the space, modulating depth, reflections and tactility.
If Rain interprets the fluid dimension of water with hand-painted brushstrokes to evoke raindrops and moving currents that give depth to the surface, Mist is characterized by light strokes that, like fog, blur the outlines.
The third element, Earth, imparts a tactile and natural force to the surface, as if shaped by the wind.
Rain collection, designed by Kengo Kuma, Ceramica Francesco De Maio
Rain collection, designed by Kengo Kuma, Ceramica Francesco De Maio
Rain collection, designed by Kengo Kuma, Ceramica Francesco De Maio
Mist collection, designed by Kengo Kuma, Ceramica Francesco De Maio
Mist collection, designed by Kengo Kuma, Ceramica Francesco De Maio
Earth collection, designed by Kengo Kuma, Ceramica Francesco De Maio
Earth collection, designed by Kengo Kuma, Ceramica Francesco De Maio
Kengo Kuma, architect and designer
“With Francesco De Maio, where a deep ceramic tradition endures, the tile becomes a surface on which the traces of the hand are left visible in a deliberate and intentional way,” Kengo Kuma points out. “Rain, Mist and Earth have distinct brushing techniques. Evolving from subtle and delicate strokes to more daring and material gestures, the colors evoke water, mist and earth. Each piece becomes a point of convergence between matter, movement and landscape. The lines unfold as a single continuous human gesture, delicate but guided by a clear and meditated will.”
For the Japanese architect, architecture is a system of relationships between the built environment and the environment, between artifice and nature which, in this project, is expressed through a ceramic surface capable of welcoming and transforming light, restoring centrality to the process and manual skill of the sign.
Its basis is the craft skills of Ceramica Francesco De Maio, which renews the Vietri tradition through a contemporary lexicon, keeping the manual quality of the decoration intact.
The dialogue between Italian ceramic expertise and the Japanese design ethos gives rie to a collection that goes beyond the two-dimensionality of the surface to become an architectural element.
The collection is previewed at the Salone del Mobile.Milano, S.Project Pavilion 24 — Stand D11.
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