Motawi Tileworks
BY: Keith Jefferies
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Motawi Tileworks features custom ceramics by Karim and Nawal Motawi. This brother and sister team use locally produced clay and glazes mixed on site using their own recipes. Their incredible designs have earned them a loyal and lucrative following.
Started by the siblings in 1992 in a two-car garage, today Motawi Tileworks is a $2.5 million a year company that occupies its own 12,600 square foot studio and showroom facility and employs nearly 30 artisans.
Nawal studied sculpture and ceramics at the University of Michigan and learned tile making at Pewabic Pottery. Karim, also educated at U-M, runs the production studio, assists with design and teaches tile-making classes.
Motawi provides unique tile installations for private homes, public libraries, television movie sets, and corporate lobbies. Their latest design line is in collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright estate.
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