Madonna Galuega Autu: Aoina o Tile by Nataliya Naymark

Madonna Galuega Autu: Aoina o Tile by Nataliya Naymark is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Apamemea in Vaega Fau Fale Competition Category.

ApamemeaVaega Fau Fale· 2026

Madonna Galuega Autu: Aoina o Tile

by Nataliya Naymark

Client: NNaymark.design

A' Design Award Apamemea Winner in Vaega Fau Fale Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #180369

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Madonna Galuega Autu: Aoina o Tile

Tusitusiga o le Tusi: O le aoina o tile Madonna e faaliliuina ai faatulagaga o ie afu o ata paia o le seneturi lona 15 i se faiga ata ceramic modular. E ala i le faatulagaina o vaega faafuainumera ma le faapipiiina o lanu faapito, o ie afu vali e liua i luga e tolu itu ma le loloto lagona i le paʻiga. O tile taʻitasi e mafai ona liliu ma tuufaatasia e fatuina ai faatulagaga eseese e le toe fai soo i luga o puipui, fola po o faalava. O faamatalaga o le pupula uʻamea ma aafiaga o le tuinanau gaoioi e faaofiina ai le tamaoaiga o lanu, ma faataga ai le gagana faaata faasolopito e galue i totonu o siosiomaga o fausaga faaonaponei.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Apamemea

O le A' Design Award Apamemea na manumalo ai Madonna Galuega Autu: Aoina o Tile, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu ese e iloga i le fatufatuaʻi, le atamai ma le poto. O ē manumalo i le Apamemea o mea e iai le tomai atoa ma fatufatuaʻi mataʻina e faamaonia ai le poto masani tele, le mafaufau ma le atamai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Madonna Galuega Autu: Aoina o Tile e avea ma mea e vivii tele, ua pelepelea, e iloga i le tomai faapolofesa ma mea fou. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Apamemea e tuufaatasia ai faiga sili i le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi ma e sili ona lelei i le mataituina o mea itiiti. Madonna Galuega Autu: Aoina o Tile e faamalieina matagofie manaʻoga, pa i manaʻo, faalataina lagona ma faaosofia le fia iloa.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Madonna is a modular ceramic tile collection translating 15th-century Madonna drapery into calibrated relief. Symbolic painted folds become structured physical depth. The rotational geometry enables controlled non-repetition across small and large surfaces, functioning as architectural structure rather than ornament. The system creates directional movement and allows scalable application across interiors.
Dimensions & Packaging: 300 x 300 mm
Tags: tile, pattern, Ornament, Ceramic, Renaissance
Production Technology: Production combines high-pressure press-molding to generate calibrated 3D relief replicating drapery folds, followed by HD digital inkjet printing for chromatic fidelity to 15th-century iconography. Select areas receive third-fire luster application (or PVD metallization) for permanent metallic gold accents. Reactive glaze layering creates controlled oxidation effects, producing an aged patina with depth and surface tactility.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating sacred iconography into contemporary ceramic without losing its dignity or becoming decorative imitation. Historically, folds in icons are symbolic, not naturalistic. Converting this painted illusion into structural relief required balancing authenticity with manufacturability. Limited glaze behavior, metallic firing constraints, and repeat-pattern logic demanded constant recalibration between art history and industrial feasibility.
Research: Historical visual research. Objective: translate 15th-century Madonna icon drapery into a modular ceramic system adaptable to modern interiors. Methodology: comparative analysis of icon paintings focusing on color layers, fold geometry, and compositional rhythm. Tools: archival study, chromatic mapping, 3D modeling. Experiments tested fold positioning and rotation. Result: a non-repetitive surface system. Insight: sacred color logic can inform contemporary design. Impact: bridges heritage and scalable interior production.
Inspiration: The project was developed after extensive visual research of 15th-century Madonna icon paintings, focusing on the way drapery, color gradients, and layered folds were rendered. I studied multiple variations of fabric depiction to understand their geometric logic and chromatic structure. The tile design translates these historical folding patterns into a contemporary ceramic surface, preserving the rhythm and tonal depth characteristic of early Renaissance garments.
Project Duration: September 2025
Operation Flow: Each tile is designed to be rotated and combined in multiple positions, allowing endless pattern variations. One module can create a subtle surface, while a full set produces complex, flowing compositions. This system prevents visual repetition, so a space can feel different from every angle. The same pattern logic extends to wallpaper, textiles, and upholstery, creating a cohesive yet dynamic interior language.
Team Members: Nataliya Naymark
Image Credits: Nataliya Naymark