Folk Art - “Around the Globe”

‘Folk art’ is an expression of the world’s traditional cultures. It encompasses a range of functional and embellished media, including cloth, wood, paper, clay, metal and more. This beautiful art form is made by individuals whose artistic skills convey their community’s authentic cultural identity, rather than an individual or idiosyncratic artistic identity.  Embodying these characteristics born out of indigenous communities, we introduce you all to the International Tile Range. From SUMI-E inspired by Japanese drawing styles and strokes, KALOCSA by Hungarian folk art to the FILETEADO art born in Buenos Aires and CIREBON inspired by the traditional Indonesian Batik, this range brings forth beautiful folk art from across the globe!

We picked 9 countries and taking inspiration from the iconic art of each country we divided the designers with BFT team into 3 groups of 5 members. Initially we got 9 distinct and desirable patterns for 9 countries from which we shortlisted 6. Each group had to come up with one or two designs representing the art of that country. Rough sketches, drawing, graphic designs were worked upon, resulting in these quirky and attractive patterns. 

Here we give you an idea of what’s in store for you with this all new designer collaboration range that draws inspiration from the vibrant elements of folk art from all around the world.

JAPAN

Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, woodblock prints and paintings, ceramics, origami and more.

We found inspiration for our tiles from the art of Japanese ink painting, popularly known as Sumi-E. Further delving into Japanese art, we discovered the beautiful oil paper umbrellas which formed the basis for our WAGASA range. We explore the intricacies of these beautiful art forms and how we incorporated them into tile patterns below:

WAGASA

Wagasa or Japanese umbrellas were first introduced from China at the beginning of the Heian period (794  - 1185). Over the centuries, these umbrellas have become a status symbol and an art form. Characteristically, the umbrella handle and scaffold are often coloured black, however, sometimes other colours are applied as well. The surface paintings include traditional Japanese culture, often borrowing elements from nature such as birds, leaves and cherry blossom flowers.

SUMI-E

The SUMI-E is a type of East Asian brush painting that uses black ink – as used in East Asian calligraphy – in different concentrations. Ink wash painting uses tonality and shading achieved by varying the ink density, both by differential grinding of the ink stick in water and by varying the ink load and pressure within a single brushstroke.

Fetching inspiration from the drawing style and its strokes, the SUMI-E tile was created.

SWEDEN

The Swedish Folk Art Painting is known as “Rosnaling” which translates to "Decorative Painting”. The Swedish art form has its roots in the Dalarna, Hälsingland and Härjedalen regions in central Sweden. 

During the 1700s and into the mid-1800s, this art form was further developed and became extremely popular. Embodying the diverse expressions and techniques of Swedish folk art, we created this quirky Dala pattern. The wooden horses have become a global symbol of Sweden.

Folk art helps us recount our origins – it tells the story of where the design comes from, and the Dala pattern is the most pertinent representation of Swedish folk art. Hence, when we chose Sweden as our inspiration, the Dala Horse became immediately became the central theme.

DALA

A Dalecarlian horse or Dala horse is a traditional carved, painted wooden statue of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia). In the olden days, the Dalecarlian horse was mostly used as a toy for children; in modern times it has become a symbol of Dalarna, as well as of Sweden in general, and the inspiration behind the DALA tile.

ARGENTINA

While tango may be the Argentine capital's most famous export, fileteado, a unique style of artistic drawing that originated in the city's wagon factories, is another local highlight. The filetes were born as simple ornaments, becoming an emblematic form of art for the city.

FILETEADO

The fileteado porteño was born in Buenos Aires at the beginning of the 20th century as a popular decorative practice. It originated in wagon factories, where the first teachers of the trade developed it spontaneously until it was fully matured with shapes and colour. For many years, the city’s cars and wagons had an original decoration which was embraced by buses and trucks.

Inspired by the horse motifs in the design, we created the FILETEADO TILE.

HUNGARY

The most frequent ornament is a flower with a centrepiece resembling the eye of a peacock’s feather. Hungarian folk art inhabits an important space in the country's culture: colourful embroidery, pottery, lace and more are displayed in museums, produced by local craftsmen.

Listing below the two exquisite art that we took inspiration from:

KALOCSA

It was in the beginning of the eighteenth century that the present style of Hungarian folk art took shape, incorporating both Renaissance and Baroque elements, depending on the area, as well as Persian Sassanide influences. Flowers and leaves, sometimes a bird or a spiral ornament, are the principal decorative themes.

The floral motifs are an inspiration behind the KALOCSA tile. Our eternal love for floral designs comes through in this new range!

CSÚCSI

The CSÚCSI pottery was created for everyday use. It was common in an average household to have 300 different pieces of pottery fulfilling various functions. The designs incorporate floral motifs for decorative purposes. The most popular combination being blue and white.

The floral motifs are the inspiration behind the CSÚCSI tile.

MEXICO

Folk art in Mexico has always been a part of the community either in the countryside or city! It is within the community life that people keep their traditions alive and can support each other. One of the most appreciated aspects of the Mexican Folk Art is the great variety and diversity in the forms and styles between communities and raw materials available in the country!

CALAVERA

There is probably no symbol more iconic for the Day of the Dead than the skull, or “calavera”. The “calavera” is usually an ornately decorated representation of a skull, often featuring flowers, animals, and other decorations. During the holiday, this imagery is seen everywhere, from Ofrendas, to paper crafts, and even to cartoons on newspapers. In a way, the Calavera has become an embodiment of the holiday itself.

Inspired by the colourful representation of skulls, the CALAVERA tile was designed!

OTOMI

The Otomi have developed an international reputation for their textiles, sometimes called Otomi fabrics, and sometimes ‘Tenangos’ after the valley where many Otomi people live. These textiles have become a major product associated with Mexico, giving the Otomi a bit more recognition in the land of the Maya and Aztecs.

Incorporating this Mexican folk art into our tiles, we came up with the OTOMI tile! 

INDONESIA

The culture and art of Indonesia has been shaped by interaction between local indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesian art forms can include designs traced back to early animistic beliefs, ancestor worship, Hindu or Buddhist influenced motifs brought by Indian traders, Chinese or Islamic symbols and beliefs. Indonesian art forms are rich in symbolism. The diversity in Indonesian textile forms is astounding and is yet another representation of its rich cultural heritage. Indonesian textiles include hand drawn and stamped batik, the design of which takes months to create.

CIREBON

Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth. The tradition of batik making is found in various countries; the batik of Indonesia, however, may be the best-known. Indonesian batik, Cirebon, made in the island of Java has a long history of acculturation, with diverse patterns influenced by a variety of cultures. It is the most developed in terms of pattern, technique, and the quality of workmanship.

Taking cues from the motifs in the designs, we created the CIREBON tile. This beauty makes for the perfect addition to your balcony or patio area!

At Bharat Floorings & Tiles, we always strive to innovate and create stylish and modern patterns for your home décor! Being a full-fledged design house that provides services of the utmost quality to our consumers, we give you the opportunity to create your own unique tiles by letting you choose from a range of diverse patterns that come together to narrate a riveting story. Traditionally known for our Indian inspired heritage designs, this time we decided to step outside the boundaries of our own culture and explore a world beyond. The result is a brand-new collection in collaboration with Idea Spice that features the cultural identity from “Around the world” inspired by folk art – what we call the ‘International Tile Range’.

Now that you know what inspires our new collection, come check them out for yourself and discover which one appeals to your aesthetics.

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