SCAD partners with Cerámica Suro to create installation at Design Miami

Promotion: the official university partner of Design Miami, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has collaborated with Mexican design studio Cerámica Suro to produce an installation formed from glazed tiles designed by SCAD alumni.

As part of the project, SCAD alumni Nicolas Barrera, Lauren Clay, Gonzalo Hernandez, Cory Imig, Abel Macias and Nikita Nagpal each produced a tile collection that “reflected their unique creative visions”.

400 of the artists’ tile designs were made in Guadalajara, Mexico, by Cerámica Suro artisans, which were displayed in an arched installation at Design Miami during Miami Art Week 2022. Each day of the fair, the installation showcased a new artist’s tile designs.

“The overall effect is ethereal and dramatic,” founder and president of SCAD Paula Wallace told Dezeen. “It’s not just one booth – it’s six different exhibitions, with a new one every day.”

The university’s booth was designed by SCAD architecture graduate and current master of architecture candidate Nicolas Barrera.

“The goal of the overall booth design was to showcase the simplicity and the strength of the arch and ceramic tiles,” said Barrera. “This allowed an intimate space for visitors to immerse themselves in the work created by a series of SCAD alumni.”

Beneath the hanging tiles, SCAD industrial design graduate Marcelo Suro’s new furniture and lighting collections were displayed, which complemented the colours and textures of the tiles.

“Fools Gold, is a series of side lamps that juxtaposes the rigidity and strength of cast bronze with the looseness and sketch-like quality of forms that aren’t typically associated with the material in question,” said Suro. “Up is Down is a series of subtly playful side tables seamlessly integrating fused glass and glazed ceramic that explores the small-scale productive potential of Guadalajara.”

SCAD says that it prioritises integrating its alumni into the design industry and creating opportunities for emerging talent, and the university enrols more than 16,000 students from more than 120 countries and all 50 states.

“People who love talking about the future of design are often only thinking about the what. The real question is who. Who is the future of design?” said Wallace. “The answer is young creatives. Collectively, they possess a more inclusive and expansive view of the power of design to influence change – from sustainability to wellness.”

“Design Miami feels like an extension of SCAD in so many ways: the aesthetic, the climate, the manifold disciplines exuberantly on display, the joy you feel in every environment and every object and everyone you meet,” continued Wallace.

Cerámica Suro is led by owner and designer José Noé Suro. The studio has partnered with renowned architecture and design studios and contemporary artists including Jorge Pardo, The Haas Brothers, Pae White, and David Adjaye.

To learn more about SCAD, visit its website.

Partnership content

This video was created by Dezeen for SCAD as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.