The Déchirer is an exclusive floor and wall tile designed by celebrated designer Patricia Qrquiola for Italian brand Ceramiche Mutina. The Déchirer tiles combine the texture of cement with distinct, yet delicate décors evoking the history and layered memories of a time-worn material.
Patricia Urquiola, is renowned for her work with iconic brands such as Moroso, B&B Italia, Driade, Agape, Foscarini, Kartell, Knoll, Rosenthal, Floss, Alessi and many more. So it comes as no surprise that she made her debut in floor ceramics with a creation which is no less than extraordinary. Their name comes from the corresponding verb in French, which means “tear”. The semiology of the name refers to the fact that Déchirer tiles feature a blend of different patterns which look they came to light after the initial pattern was worn out and something underneath came to the surface.
Irregular hints of décor running through the tile at various heights, give the impression of a surface worn away by time: a design that is contemporary but at the same time could be centuries old.
The result is amazing as the tiles have a three-dimensional texture that awakens memories of the past. In combination with the various size options, this clever design offers a range of solutions by alternating the composition of plain and decorated tiles with sharp-edged slabs and patchwork patterns to create the perception of a continuous surface.
Patricia comments on her design, “I’m very interested in working on large-size formats, such as cement modules and unusual shapes such as hexagons. And I’m also fascinated by the idea of creating an industrial product in which traces of the layers of history are present, a product with a personality. Bas-reliefs of different heights which are not so much decorations as the remains of torn away memories”.
The Déchirer tiles are highly innovative, not only for the patterns and textures, but also for the production system. Thanks to the latest-generation CONTINUA technology, the decorations and colors of Déchirer tiles are obtained without the use of glazes, but simply by the distribution of quality stoneware mixtures in different layers. Press-finished with 12 mm thickness, the tiles are perfectly rectified, single-work size and modular.
Déchirer tiles are a veritable state-of-the-art product. Its resistance to wear and high traffic, even in areas designed for heavy usage, make it an interesting alternative to materials such as concrete when designing hospitality areas, in both public and residential environments.
