Q&A with Conie Vallese on her new tile collection

You have worked with tiles before. How did this collaboration with Blēo differ from your previous work in the medium?

My earlier work with tiles was more intuitive and object-based. With Blēo, the approach became more systematic, working through formats, repetition, and how a surface unfolds across space. The focus shifted from the individual piece to the overall composition. At the same time, the collaboration opened a more conceptual framework. It allowed me to explore pattern systems, spatial continuity, and how a single unit can scale into an architectural surface. I was interested in maintaining a sense of the hand within a modular system, something tactile and responsive, while avoiding rigidity. It became a balance between structure and softness, where repetition remains active and expressive.

How did you approach the development of the colour palette?

The palette is rooted in landscape, particularly island environments. I was drawn to colours that feel grounded, tones that can settle quietly into a space and shift with changing light. It brings together softened yellows, earth browns, and darker mineral tones like charcoal and silver. The blues were central, the shifting tones where sky and sea meet, where boundaries dissolve. These are colours that change with light and atmosphere, rather than remain fixed.

What role does variation play in the tiles?

Variation is essential. Each tile carries subtle differences, and when repeated, these shifts build depth and movement across the surface. It’s not about uniformity, but controlled variation. This tension between repetition and irregularity allows the surface to remain open and responsive. It becomes less of a fixed system and more of a material that evolves with light, scale, and perspective.

How do you imagine the tiles being used in architectural settings?

I think of the tiles as part of a continuous surface. The formats introduce rhythm and direction, but the overall expression remains calm and cohesive. The intention is to create surfaces that support space rather than define it, where colour, variation, and material work together to form environments that feel connected, quiet, and immersive.

What was important for you to maintain from your own practice in this collaboration?

A sense of material honesty. Even within a structured system, the tiles should reflect how they are made, and allow for a certain imperfection to remain visible.