Ann Arbor, MI, April 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Motawi Tileworks, the Ann Arbor-based maker of handcrafted ceramic artwork tile, is introducing Second Studio, a brand new line of employee-designed tiles that expands the corporate’s design custom and displays its dedication to the Small Giants philosophy—constructing an organization that strives to be nice, not big.
The primary launch within the collection, Jellyfish, was designed by Motawi artist Ronan Sampson and chosen from greater than 60 entries in an inner artwork competitors. The 4×8 tile contains a spiraling, flowing composition that captures the fragile pressure of its topic—each swish and quietly electrical with movement—and might be put in in any orientation.
Second Studio marks the primary time within the firm’s 30+ yr historical past that Motawi will launch a collection of designs not created by founder and inventive director Nawal Motawi, however by the artists who make the tiles day-after-day—these urgent clay, glazing basins, and firing kilns throughout the studio. New designs within the line might be launched quarterly.
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The initiative grew out of worker curiosity in collaborating extra immediately within the design course of. Entries had been reviewed by a panel of judges after which opened to company-wide voting throughout Motawi Tileworks and its sister firm and clay provider, Rovin Ceramics.
For Motawi, this system represents each a artistic enlargement and a long-term funding within the firm’s future.
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“I’m not going anywhere, but I’m not going to be around forever,” mentioned Nawal Motawi. “The company needs to be able to move forward with different aesthetic stewardship someday. Second Studio is a way of including more people in that process so that the eventual hand-off becomes a natural progression. Most of the tilemaking staff has artistic backgrounds, so it’s natural for them to have design ideas. I hope our public loves them even more than mine.”
The connection between making and designing is central to the Second Studio idea. As Motawi artist Alexis Ellison, whose design might be launched subsequent, explains, “Spending so much time glazing changes the way you draw—you start thinking in the language of the tile.”
Ellison’s tile, at present in growth, would be the second launch within the collection.
Karen Kromrei, Basic Supervisor of Motawi Tileworks, led the group of the competitors. “We talk a lot about ownership here—not just of tasks, but of the work itself,” Kromrei mentioned. “This competition let people see their creative fingerprints on the future of the line. When the voting opened up, you could feel the energy. Everyone had a favorite.”
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Based in 1992, Motawi Tileworks produces handcrafted ceramic tile impressed by Artwork Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, and Midcentury Fashionable design. Every tile is made utilizing the centuries-old Cuenca method, with glazes utilized by hand to create distinctive, dimensional surfaces.
The primary Second Studio tile, Jellyfish, is at present out there on the market on Motawi’s web site and in its Gallery. To view the gathering, go to:https://www.motawi.com/collections/art-tile?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=second_studio_launch
Extra details about Motawi Tileworks is obtainable at:https://www.motawi.com/?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=second_studio_launch
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