Working out of a garage they had converted into a studio, Nawal Motawi and her brother Karim started a small art-tile business in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Beginning in 1992, they sold their hand-sculpted tiles at art fairs and the local farmer's market. Word spread; commissions started coming in; soon the Motawis were in demand. Today Motawi Tileworks employs about thirty people and creates beautifully designed contemporary art tiles in the tradition of the Arts & Crafts movement. Many designs are inspired by the work of famous graphic artists--such as Dard Hunter--or architects--such as Frank Lloyd Wright--or by traditional textile patterns or Japanese woodblock prints. Others are born solely of Nawal's imagination. But each Motawi tile is an original jewel, embodying a sophisticated color palette and the finest craftsmanship.
In this book, Anne Stewart O'Donnell, editor in chief of Style 1900 magazine, gives an engaging account of the Motawi Tileworks story, from the company's design and manufacturing processes through its unique inventory system. A foreword by Joseph A. Taylor, cofounder and president of the Tile Heritage Foundation, places Motawi Tileworks firmly in the forefront of contemporary tilemakers. The book concludes with a photo essay that leads the reader through the tilemaking process.
Illustrated with about 125 color photographs of individual tiles, murals, and installations, Motawi Tileworks is a must-read for anyone interested in Arts & Crafts design, tiles, and a small-business success story.
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