Chimera surface tiles by Elena Salmistraro for Florim

VDF products fair: The decorative Chimera surface tile collection by Elena Salmistraro and Italian ceramics company Florim takes its cues from Greek mythology.

Developed by Salmistraro with Florim's sub-brand CEDIT, the large ceramic surface tiles are a reference to the four-legged mythological hybrid creature Chimera, whose body is part lion, dragon and goat.

Like the beast, the Chimera collection is conceived as a "combination of different creatures", featuring four different tile styles named Empatia, Radici, Ritmo and Colore that all have individual motifs and stories.

Empatia marries art deco references with graphics that evoke clown faces, and Colore tiles are distinguished by a speckled finish that resembles splashes of paint.

Radici and Ritmo both take their cues from textiles. While Radici evokes the textures of leather and tribal masks, Ritmo references the work of Bauhaus textile artists Gunta Stölzl and Anni Albers.

The tiles are all large format porcelain slabs, available in three sizes and in either a matte or shiny surface finish.

"This collection is an introspective work focusing on my life and the way I design,” explains the artist and designer Salmistrar. "Chimera is like a book with four different chapters: I set out to differentiate these graphic motifs to create four totally different stories," she continued.

"The collaboration with CEDIT has been very stimulating; it was a wonderful challenge that allowed us, together, to create something new, experimental and fascinating."

Product: Chimera
Designer: Elena Salmistraro
Brand: Florim

About VDF products fair: the VDF products fair offers an affordable launchpad for new products during Virtual Design Festival. For more details email vdf@dezeen.com.

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