Hastings Tile & Bath Introduces Collections from Ceramica Bardelli

Hastings Tile & Bath, the importers and distributors of contemporary bath furniture, fixtures and tile, are pleased to announce that their New York showroom will house three exclusive designs and additions to a classic Fornasetti design, all from Ceramica Bardelli.

The three collections that Hastings has unveiled are comprised of two new designs by Marcel Wanders and one from Robert Dawson. Marcel Wanders first became famous as an artist with his iconic Knotted Chair, designed for Droog Design in 1996. In the years that followed, he worked with some of the most important contemporary design producers in Europe, including (among many others), Alessi, Flos, KLM, Swarovski, Puma, Droog Design and Moooi, of which he is art director and co-owner. The New York Times has nicknamed him the “Lady Gaga of Design” and Business Week has included him in the 25 leaders of change in Europe.

Wanders’ two collections for Bardelli are SOFIA and EVE. Each is a collection of interior floor and wall, rectified, hand-painted porcelain tiles. SOFIA is available in five color varieties with a matte finish. The designs are created with a laser-engraved silicone roller press, ensuring that no two tiles are exactly alike. The EVE collection is produced using double firing techniques and hand painting on a matte background. The decorations are available in five color variations and as a solid color.

The third collection that Hastings has introduced is ARIANNA ORO, designed by Robert Dawson. Now based in London where he runs his studio, AESTHETIC SABOTAGE, Robert Dawson was born in New York City but spent most of his childhood in Geneva, Switzerland. He received his MA in Ceramics from the Royal College of Art. In the early 1990s, he began working with historic ceramic sources, which he manipulated and reapplied to china tableware and ceramic tiling. In 2004, Wedgwood asked him to return to the Willow Pattern, and among the work he did for them was the award-winning range titled “After Willow Pattern,” which is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum along with “In Perspective Willow,” which he designed in 1992.

For Bardelli, Dawson created ARIANNA ORO, a collection of hand-painted ceramic tiles. The ARIANNA ORO includes a collection of double-fired wall tiles including 12 mixed patterns and four single patterns made with a precious pure gold silkscreen print on a background of matte white, glossy white or glossy black. All the patterns can be freely rotated and randomly combined, or arranged on the basis of an intentional sequence, permitting countless different laying solutions.

Hastings also introduced the TANGRAM collection designed by Atelier Bardelli, designer for Ceramica Bardelli. The Atelier brand represents the vast wealth of culture, knowledge and manufacturing expertise of Ceramica Bardelli. Atelier’s work is done by hand for the most classic versions using freehand drawing, stenciling (the “spolvero” transfer technique) and decalcomania or mixed media for more specific detailing. The end result is a product that combines the time-honored techniques of traditional craft decoration with modern industrial processes.

The TANGRAM collection, designed by Atelier, breaks the rules with change. With no puzzle or mysterious image to reassemble, Tangram traces its intricate diagonals without contribution and complicity. The collection involves the random mixing and matching of geometric shapes that unexpectedly slash and punctuate the space. Tangram is like a kaleidoscope that, upon taking a small break from its rotations, chooses to linger indefinitely, creating a sense of endless expectation.

All of these collections and more can be seen at the Hastings Tile & Bath showroom in the A&D building in New York City.