FRANCESCO DE MAIO
CERAMICA DI VIETRI
ITALY
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FRANCESCO DE MAIO
CERAMICA DI VIETRI
Handcrafted and hand-decorated majolica tiles reinterpret the historical memory, innovate and create redesigning the ceramic according to new tastes and trends...
info@francescodemaio.it
Three Elements, One Matter.
Kengo Kuma designs ceramic surfaces for Francesco De Maio
A New Language of Ceramic Design.
Francesco De Maio presents “Three Elements, One Matter”, a new project developed in collaboration with architect Kengo Kuma.
A collaboration rooted in a shared vision of material and the handmade gesture as living elements of architecture, in dialogue with light, nature and space.
The project takes shape through the interpretation of three natural elements - Rain, Mist, Earth - translated into ceramic surfaces through a process that combines contemporary design research with the tradition of hand-decorated Vietri majolica.
At the core lies the artisanal knowledge of Ceramica Francesco De Maio, a tradition rooted in Vietri majolica and hand-decoration techniques, reinterpreted today through a contemporary language.
The result is a dialogue between Italian ceramic expertise and Japanese design ethos, where material becomes a bridge between cultures, visions and design sensibilities.
“Three Elements, One Matter” represents a new interpretation of ceramic: no longer a simple surface, but an architectural element capable of generating atmosphere, rhythm and connection.
Kengo Kuma
For Kengo Kuma, architecture is a relationship between material and environment, between the built and nature. This sensibility finds a new expression in ceramic, which becomes a dynamic surface capable of absorbing, reflecting and returning light.
“With Francesco De Maio, where a profound ceramic tradition endures, the tile becomes a surface on which traces of the hand are deliberately and intentionally left visible,” says Kengo Kuma. “Rain, Mist and Earth present distinct brushing techniques. Evolving from fine, delicate strokes to bolder, more material gestures, the colors evoke water, mist and earth. Each piece becomes a point of convergence between material, movement and landscape. The lines unfold as a single continuous human gesture—delicate, yet guided by a clear and intentional will.”
Three Elements, One Matter.
RAIN
Rain explores the dialogue with water through fluid, hand-applied brushstrokes that evoke falling raindrops and flowing currents, generating a depth that is both ephemeral and vibrant.
Three Elements, One Matter.
MIST
Mist works on the perception of light, creating subtle gradients and delicate layering. Soft brushstrokes blend like mist among leaves, dissolving contours and softening light.
Three Elements, One Matter.
EARTH
Earth recalls a more primal and material dimension, giving the surface a tactile and natural strength shaped by wind. Like sand molded over time, the material holds soft, deep shadows, while the exposed terracotta enhances the authenticity and depth of the surface.
Three Elements, One Matter.
RAIN, MIST and EARTH
Rooted in the tradition of Vietri majolica and reinterpreted through a contemporary design approach, Kengo Kuma transforms the ceramic into a dynamic element in dialogue with light, space and nature.
