Graphic Graffiti: Alfabeto Tile Collection by Margherita Rui for Ninefifty.

A collection of glazed handcrafted terracotta and lava stone tiles designed by Margherita Rui for Ninefifty, Alfabeto is an anthology of signs conceived to create continuous patterns with the 19 designs made up of converging lines, transforming surfaces into endless graphic compositions.

Alfabeto recreates the rhythms of the forms and colours of Caltagirone ceramic tiles, Alfabeto conceptualises their lines, from figurative to geometric patterns. This is a real tribute to the city Ninefifty is headquartered in — the place where Ninefifty products take shape, crafted by hand, reinterpreting ancient methods through means of new processing techniques.

“In designing Alfabeto, my intention was to recreate the rhythm of the forms and colours of Caltagirone ceramics,” explains Margherita Rui, designer and creative director of the brand. “But I wanted an abstract version of their forms: from figurative to geometric patterns. Even the saturated shades summarise their colours. They become the signs of an alphabet used to write stories.”

Ninefity name is synonymous with the aesthetics and the philosophy of the new Sicilian brand with a contemporary soul, founded by Nicolò, Alessandro and Fausto Parrinello. At 950 degrees Celsius, lava stone and clay melt, representing the processes that make the source material take on new shapes and colours, also referring to matter’s expressive potential, and the energy of the earth.

Alfabeto was awarded the best-unreleased product at EDIT Napoli 2020, and has been short-listed for the 2021 ADI Design Index award in the Design for Living section.

Related: ExCinere Volcanic-Ash-Glazed Tiles by Formafantasma for Dzek.

[Images courtesy of Ninefifty. Photography by Mattia Balsamini.]