Lazarus Tiles

Just back from and I want to head back again.
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While furiously finishing things off at a few weeks ago, an artist who was dropping stock off saw me hanging a few Lazarus Tiles and told me about ’s upcoming debut exhibition.
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Always up for discovering new work, this got me excited because as a canvas, she had used reclaimed cement tiles! Chatting with the Alison and the curator , they were showing me how the pattern had informed the end result, with both sharing that 20x20cm space.
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I also love the subjects of her work, mostly being infants or young children. Having them painted on tiles sometimes over a century old really cements the idea of their rebirth.

Sometimes you can find beautiful things in unexpected places.
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When foreign friends visit, one of my favourite spots to take them to is a little cove along Malta’s northern coast underneath Għar Tuta. It’s walkable, but lots more fun to kayak to from Paradise Bay.
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It’s a tiny concrete ramp which must have been laid many decades ago. Further in are a few crumbling boathouses and one of them was built underneath a giant rock. Nature has taken the place back, filling it with fennel, wild carrots and hardy succulents. There isn’t much left of it but what IS left is some sort of a threshold made up of mismatched cement tiles.
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They’re all lovely patterns and hard to tell which colours exactly after years sitting out in the harsh sun. But in their desaturated eclectisism they are beautiful nonetheless.

Kirkop coming in strong with this kaleidoscopic tapestry.
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Some of the humblest homes and buildings often have the brightest-coloured floors. At a time when home decor was expensive and not terribly varied, these locally-made tiles were an affordable way to bring a touch of fun into Maltese homes.
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This building in Kirkop is a typical village home where the rooms surround a central courtyard and the variety of tile patterns and techniques is stunning! Marbled, textured and colourful - just as I like them.
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New Lazarus Tiles editions dropping soon on the website - keep your eyes peeled!
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Happy New Year!
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Here’s to 365 days full of rewarding projects, memorable homes and beautiful tiles.
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And if you’re still a little rough from your New Year celebrations, I hope you’re hugging a loo in as pretty a setting as this.
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Awguri!
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