BACHELOR OF APPLIED ARTS & DESIGN DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED ARTS & DESIGN, KULLIYYAH OF ARCHITECTURE & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, IIUM BAAD 3200 APPLIED ARTS & DESIGN STUDIO 6 YEAR 3, SEMESTER 2, SESSION 2022/2023 DOCUMENTATION OF PROJECT 1 PROMOTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE: ISLAMIC VISUAL ART MADE FROM CERAMIC AND CONCRETE TILES PREPARED BY: AIMIEIZZATY NURIL SYUHADA BINTI SHOLIKHIN (2011582) LECTURER IN CHARGE: ASST. PROF. DR. ZUMAHIRAN KAMARUDIN
TABLE OF CONTENT NO. CONTENT PAGE 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 11.0 12.0 Background Research on Tiles Research on Islamic Tiles Types and Techniques of Tiles Making Case Studies (Local and International) Educational Visit to National Craft Institute (IKN) Design Development of the Tiles Design Tiles Mockup Process of Making the Tiles 2D and 3D Drawing of the Tiles The Application of the Tiles on the Proposed Area Conclusion References 3 - 4 4 - 5 6 - 10 11 - 17 17 - 19 19 - 25 26 26 - 28 29 30 30 31 - 33
1.0 Background Research on Tiles 1.1 Introduction of Tiles Tiles are coverings that can be arranged in a grid to cover a variety of objects such as roofs, walls, floors, tabletops, and more. They are made of durable materials such as ceramic, baked clay, and stone. Besides that, they can also be configured in a variety of ways, ranging from simple square tiles to complex orders or mosaics. They can be used for both protection and aesthetic decoration both inside and outside of buildings. Glaze has been used for tiles finishing, especially ceramic tiles. Ceramic glazes in ceramic tiles are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The glaze coats the ceramic surfaces, rendering them impermeable and waterproof while also serving as a medium for artistic expression. Fig 1, 2 & 3: Example of tiles applied on a wall 1.2 Origin of Wall Tiles in Architecture Tilework originated from Ancient Egypt as far as 4000BC. A method known as "faience" was applied, and transparent or opaque tiles made of sand or crushed quartz in blue, green, or turquoise hues were frequently used (see Figure 7). Besides that, the Egyptians decorated their homes with stunning blue glazed bricks. This can be seen in Figure 9 & 10. Glazed bricks from the Mesopotamia civilization were the earliest evidence of wall tiles. As an example, glazed bricks in the Elamite Temple at Chogha Zanbil, 13th century BC (Figure 8) and Babylon's Ishtar Gate (575BC), where low reliefs were created using glazed and coloured bricks (Figure 9 & 10). Fig 4 & 5: Example of glazed tiles Fig 6: Example of unglazed tiles Fig 7: Turquoise tiles made from sand or crushed quartz used by the ancient Egyptians. (Phot by: Hannah Pethen) Fig 8: Chogha Zanbil outer facade with the glazed brickworks Fig 9: Ishtar Gate with its wall tiles (reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin) Fig 10: Close-up of its tilework depicting a lion 3
1.3 History of Walls in Architecture Mesopotamian temples used early forms of mosaics made of seashells, ivory and stone to decorate their temples. This led the foundation of mosaics (refer Figure 11). The ancient Romans popularized mosaics and began making them with tiles (see Figure 12). They were also credited to spreading ancient tiling techniques to Europe, including the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Other than that, Achaemenid Empire also used glazed tiles as decoration for their buildings, as you can see in Figure 13. Furthermore, Medieval Europe and the Byzantine Empire heavily used mosaics as decoration for their buildings, especially in churches with depictions on Christianity (refer Figure 14). Fig 11: Cone mosaics from Mesopotamia Fig 12: Ancient Roman mosaic depicting Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus Fig 13: Palace of Darius in Susa using glazed brick tiles as relief Fig 14: Jesus Christ mosaic of the Byzantium Empire 2.0 Research on Islamic Tiles 2.1 History of Walls in Islamic Architecture The Islamic empire inspired widespread use of ceramic tiles as decorative wall coverings, both inside and outside buildings. They were usually used to decorate mosques and palaces. For example, 9th century Tunisia and 11th century Kashan Iran are among the places known for the beautiful tileworks. Fig 15 & 16: Shah Mosque (left) and Seyyed Mosque (right), both in Isfahan, with their tilework Moreover, Timurid Empire brought forth the golden age of Persian tilework, using the moraq technique, which single-color tiles were cut into small geometric pieces and assembled by pouring liquid plaster between them (refer Figure ). During the Safavid period, mosaic ornaments were replaced with haft-rang technique, also known as seven-colored tiles, as seen in Figure . Besides that, Iznik technique also became popular during the Ottoman Empire, which was a combination of Ottoman Arabesque patterns with Chinese elements. Other than that, a technique of small individual hand-chiseled tile pieces are arranged in geometric patterns/tesellations with different colours is called Zellige technique. 4
2.2 The Ornamentation of Islamic Tiles 2.2.1 Geometric Patterns According to the Met Museum, geometric patterns are one of the most distinguishing features of Islamic tile and Islamic art in general, but they did not originate in Islamic culture. Islamic artists took key geometric pattern elements from the Greeks, Romans, and Sasanians and developed them into what would later become quintessentially Islamic designs. Besides that, there are four basic shapes that usually used in Islamic designs, which are circles, squares and other four-sided polygons, stars and multi-sided polygons (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 17: Example of Timurid Empire tile, distinguishable by its rich turquoise colour Fig 18: "Reciting Poetry in a Garden" tilework Fig 19: Iznik pattern tiles Fig 20: Example of Zellige technique 2.2.1 Arabesques Rachida El Diwani explains that the arabesque pattern is made up of geometric patterns in potentially endless repetition that symbolise the impermanence of earthly objects and vegetal designs taken from nature, for example, flowers, tree leaves, vines and more (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 21: A geometric tile pattern from the mosque at the Mausoleum of Zaouia Moulay Idriss in Morocco 2.2.1 Calligraphy The Islamic culture, according to the Victoria and Albert Museum, has used calligraphy more frequently than any other culture, transferring the written word from paper to all other forms of art, such as tile and architecture. Because the Prophet Muhammad received the Quran in Arabic in the seventh century, Muslims consider Arabic to be important. It is often used to transmit the Quran's message, but it is also used to transmit other religious texts, praise for rulers, poems, and aphorisms (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 22: Turkish tile with an arabesque design from the second half of the 16th century Fig 23: Turkish tile depicting the names of God, Muhammad, and the first caliphs in Arabic script 5
3.0 Types and Techniques of Tiles Making 3.1 Ceramic Tiles Making Ceramic tiles usually a choice of flooring, kitchen backsplash, and bathroom wall covering. They are resistant to moisture and do not absorb liquids or odours. In addition, they are also fireproof, fade resistant, and stain resistant. Aside from that, they are durable finishing as they will never wear out, no matter how many people walk on them. Materials used : Sculpture clay, plaster of Paris, ceramic glaze Tools used : Clay carving tools, clay cutter, ladle, brush/sponge Process to make ceramic tiles :- 1.Choose a good type of clay to produce a durable ceramic tile, such as sculpture clay. Then, make a squarish shape of clay and engraved the design on top of it (Figure 24). 2. Use a carving tool to make a relief design of the tile (Figure 25). 3. Make a plaster cast mold of the carved tile (Figure 26). 4. Take another clay and pressed it into the plaster cast mold (Figure 27). 5. Take out the excessive clay using a wire clay cutter (Figure 29). 6. Remove the tiles from the plaster cast mold (Figure 30) and bisque firing the tiles in the kiln. 7. Brush off the surface of the bisque tiles before glazing it (Figure 31). 8. Glazing the tile using a ladle, while rotating it to make sure the glaze is all over the tile (Figure 32). 9. Firing the glazed tiles again in the kiln about three days with 1280 degree celcius to produce the final product (Figure 34). Fig 24: Engraved the design on the clay Fig 25: Use carving tool to make a relief design Fig 26: The plaster cast mold to make the tiles Fig 27: Press another clay on the plaster cast mold Fig 28: Remove the excessive clay from the plaster cast mold Fig 29: The look of the tile after remove the excessive clay Fig 30: The tile after remove from the plaster cast Fig 31: Brush off the surface of the bisque tiles Fig 32: Glazing the tiles Fig 33: Put the glazed tiles into the setter. Fig 34: Another firing of the glazed tiles Fig 35: The final product 6
3.2 Concrete Tiles Making Concrete tiles can be used indoors and outdoors. They are low in maintenance and keep the house cool. Other than that, they also stain resistant, slip resistant and durable. To make concrete, cement is mixed with water to create a paste and then combined with gravel and sand. Materials used : 25 kg sand, 25 kg gravel, 12 1/2 white cement, cement dye, 6 litres water Tools used : Wooden mold, electric screwdriver, screws, 2mm steel mat, wallpaper, pail, electric mixer, wood glue, jug, scraper knife, trowel slab, hammer, sandpaper Process to make concrete tiles :- 1.Make a custom mold for the tiles (Figure 36). 2. Put wallpaper on the mold (optional) to get a better outcome (Figure 37). 3. Assemble the mold and glue it. Then, the mold has finished (Figure 39). 4. Mix cement and water together (Figure 40). 5. Add sand and gravel to make concrete and mix them well (Figure 42). 6. Add cement dye to give colour to the concrete and mix well (Figure 43). 7. Pour the concrete into the mold and smoothen it using a trowel slab (Figure 44). 8. Put the steel mat as reinforcement into the mold and smoothen it too (Figure 45). 9. After two days, the concrete tiles will be hardened and ready to be removed. Then, scraping out the excessive concrete outside the mold (Figure 46). 10. Hit the wooden mold gently to remove the tile (Figure 47). 11. Unscrew a bar to ease the remove (Figure 48). 12. Sand the concrete tile using a sandpaper and finished (Figure 50). Fig 36: Make a custom mold Fig 37: Put wallpaper in the mold (optional) Fig 38: Assemble the mold Fig 39: Glued them together Fig 40: Mix the cement with water Fig 41: Add sand Fig 42: Add gravel and mix it Fig 43: Add cement dye for colour and mix it Fig 44: Pour the concrete into the mold and smoothen it Fig 45: Put the steel mat for reinforcement Fig 46: Scraping out the excess concrete after two days Fig 47: Gently hit the mold. Fig 48: Unscrew a bar Fig 49: The concrete tile removed Fig 50: Sand the tile Fig 51: The tiles ready to be installed 7
3.3 The Chemical and Physical Properties of Ceramic and Concrete Tiles 3.3.1 Ceramic Tiles Low electrical and thermal conductivity High resistance to corrosion and chemical attack High melting point High comprehensive strength but brittle Colours on tile do not fade Chemical Properties High hardness Opaque Brittle Good wear resistance (tougher to scratch) Poor impact strength (prone to crack easily) Physical Properties Low coefficient of thermal expansion (due to longduration) Moderate thermal conductivity Poor heat insulator Chemical Properties High compressive strengh (can withstand from breaking, when squeezed) Lower tensile strength (easy to break, when pulled apart) Can be shrink due to long-duration on temperature changes Physical Properties 3.3.2 Concrete Tiles Fig 52: Example of ceramic tiles Fig 53: Example of concrete tiles Table 1: The properties of ceramic tiles Table 2: The properties of concrete tiles 8
3.4 Techniques of Islamic Tiles Making There are six examples of Islamic tiles making that will be highlighted in this paper, which are zellige, luster painting, underglaze tile painting, cuerda seca, haft rang and girih tiles. 3.4.1 Zellige Tiles The word "zellige" (also spelt "zellij" or "zillij") is derived from the Arabic word "al zulaycha, " which means "little polished stone." Zellige tiles are multicoloured mosaics with intricate geometric designs. Moreover, the tiles would have been glazed on one side by artisans to create zelliges. Then, using a sharp hammer to carve out the form and a small hammer to bevel the cut tile's edges, they would cut the tiles according to the geometric pattern they had drawn on the glazed tile (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 54: Zellige with geometric pattern in the Courtyard of the Maidens in the Alcázar of Seville Fig 55: Zellige with geometric pattern in the Bou Inania Madrasa of Fez 3.4.2 Luster Tile Painting Silver and copper oxides are suspended on a glazed tile's surface by the intricate painting and firing process known as luster painting. These metals give off a glossy appearance by reflecting light (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 56: A 13th- to 14th-century lusterware star tile featuring entwined cranes from Kashan, Iran 3.4.3 Underglaze Tile Painting On unglazed tiles, underglaze paintings are applied. The tile is bisquefired before being painted with an underglaze. The tiles are painted, given a clear glaze, and then fired a final time by artisans (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 57: Underglaze-painted tiles from Iznik, Turkey 9
3.4.4 Cuerda Seca Tiles The cuerda seca (Spanish for "dry cord") technique, according to the Met Museum, was used to mark the tile's surface where a greasy paint was to be applied. Dry lines of unglazed tile were left behind because these fine lines kept various colours apart. Besides that, traditional cuerda seca techniques used animal fat and grease, as well as mineral pigments like manganese and iron, whereas modern techniques use mineral oil or wax resists (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 58: Cuerda seca tile in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul (first half of the 16th century) Fig 59: Tile from Khargird in Iran, mid 15th century 3.4.5 Haft Rang Tiles The seven colours of haft rang tile gave artisans more creative freedom, and it was a good choice economically (cheaper and quicker to produce). The most common hues used were white, black, turquoise, ultramarine, yellow, red and fawn. Furthermore, it was made by stacking square tiles next to one another, painting a design on them with glazed colours, firing the tiles, and then stacking them again during installation to repeat the design (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 60: The Masjed-e Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran features haft rang tile in its interior, most notably in deep blue and yellow colors 3.4.6 Girih Tiles Girih tiles were made up of tile patterns that formed five different shapes/templates: a bowtie, an elongated hexagon, a rhombus, a pentagon, and a decagon. According to Dewar, these shapes may have aided artisans in creating precise and complex large-scale geometric installations (WhyTile, 2023). Fig 61: The ceiling of the pavilion at the Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz, Iran features girih strapwork in a bright blue color Fig 62: Interior archway at the opening of the Sultan's Lodge in the Ottoman Green Mosque in Bursa, Turkey (1424) 10
4.0 Case Studies (Local and International) 4.1 Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Mosque (Local) Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (SHAS) Mosque was built at the Gombak Campus, International Islamic University Malaysia. The mosque was completed on 12th October 1997 and it was officiated by the Constitutional Head of the University, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah AlMusta'in Billah Ibni Al-Marhum Al-Sultan Abu Bakar Ri'ayatuddin AlMuazam Shah, Sultan Pahang Darul Makmur on 9th October 2000. It was given the name of “SULTAN HAJI AHMAD SHAH MOSQUE” (IIUM, 2023). 4.1.1 Location SHAS mosque is located at the center of IIUM Gombak, near to the National Zoo of Malaysia, Melawati Mall, KL East Mall, Batu Caves and Metropolitan Kepong Park. Besides that, it takes 5-7 minutes walking from IIUM library to the mosque and 10-15 minutes walking from KAED. Fig 63: Location plan of IIUM SHAS mosque Source: Google Map 4.1.2 Site Access There are four site access of SHAS mosque, which are front (Qibla direction), left, right and back. On the front side of the mosque, which located at the ground floor, there are sister's and brother's entrance. Other than that, there are Muhammad Abdul Rauf building, another brother's and sister's entrance on the left side of the mosque. Moreover, on the right side of the mosque, there are CELPAD building and another brother's entrance, while on the back entrance, there are Dar al-Hikmah library, Information Technology Division building, IRK building and another brother's entrance and smaller entrance for sister's entrance. (a) The red line shows the front side of the mosque (b) Sister's entrance (c) Brother's entrance Fig 64: Site access on the front side 11
(a) The red line shows the left side of the (b) Muhammad Abdul Rauf building mosque (c) Another sister's entrance (d) Another brother's entrance Fig 65: Site access on the left side (a) The red line shows the right side of the mosque (b) CELPAD building (c) Another brother's entrance Fig 66: Site access on the right side (a) The red line shows the back side of (b) Dar al-Hikmah library the mosque (c) Information Technology Division building (d) IRK building Fig 67: Site access on the back side (e) Another entrance for brothers and sisters 4.1.3 Facilities There are a few facilities that have in SHAS mosque, which are female and male toilet, water vending machine, vending machine, male and female wudhu' area, outdoor male wudhu' area, ramp, shoe rack, dustbin, locker, massage chair, television, female prayer clothes (telekung), book rack and 'rehal'. 12
(a) Female toilet (b) Water vending machine (c) Female wudhu' area (d) Vending machine Fig 68: Facilities on Ground floor (a) Outdoor male wudhu' area (b) Ramp (c) Shoe rack (d) Indoor female wudhu' area (e) Dustbin (f) Locker Fig 69: Facilities on First floor (a) Massage chair (b) Television (c) Telekung (d) Book rack and 'rehal' Fig 70: Facilities in the interior of the mosque 4.1.4 Building Context and Vegetation SHAS mosque is surrounded by a few building context and vegetation. The vegetation gives a serene environment to the mosque. (a) Shoplot (b) Education building (c) Office building (d) Courtyard (e) Landscaping (f) Outdoor wudhu' fountain Fig 71: Building context of the mosque 13
(a) spider lily - hymenocalis carolinia (b) bougainvillea (e) bucida molineti tree (c) potted yellow butterfly palm (d) palm tree (f) bougainvillea (g) palm tree (h) bougainvillea (i) bucida molineti tree Fig 72: Vegetation surrounding the mosque 4.1.5 Zoning There are three types of zoning in this mosque, which are public, semi-private and private zoning. All of them have their own function towards the students, lecturers and also other people outside IIUM. (a) Prayer hall (b) Entrance (c) Ablution area (d) Staircase (e) Space for programs Fig 73: Public zoning of the mosque Fig 74: Drying rack area as semi-private zoning Fig 75: Private zoning of the mosque (a) Toilet (b) Wudhu' area (c) Staircase (d) Jenazah management room (e) Dressing area (f) Travel room (Musafir room) (g) Restroom (h) Minbar 14
4.1.6 Tileworks There are a few of tileworks in the exterior and interior of the mosque. Most of the tiles are made from concrete and a few of them made from ceramic. (a) Tiles at the header of the entrance (b) Tiles at the side of the entrance (c) Tiles at the bottom of the side Fig 76: The tiles that are located at the back entrance of the mosque (Exterior) (a) The tiles on the Mihrab (b) The tiles on one of the column near the Mihrab (c) The tiles on the Mihrab wall (ceramic tiles) (d) Tiles surround the main prayer hall (f & g) These two tiles are at the column of the main prayer hall Fig 77: The tiles at the interior of the mosque (e) Tiles on top of the Qibla Wall 4.2 Hunkar Mahfili of The Big Khan Mosque of Hansaray, Crimea (International) The Big Khan Mosque is located in the first yard of the Khan's palace (Hansaray) at Bakhchysarai, Crimea. It is known built in 1740-41 during the repair and reconstruction begun by Selamet Giray II, followed by Russian invasion in 1736. Besides that, the architects and artists are known brought from Istanbul. It is decorated by an Iranian master named Omer. Moreover, it is a north-south directed rectangular planned structure. There is a two-story closed narthex in the north side of the sanctuary, one minaret in each side of two corners of the sanctuary, one colonnade in each of the eastern and western fronts, one hunkar mahfili in the southeastern corner, and one shadirvan in the eastern side (Unar & Karagoz, 2021). 15
Fig 78: The plan of Khan's palace at Bakhchysarai, Crimea Fig 79: The view of the Big Khan mosque from the northwest Hunkar mahfili (in Turkish) is on the upper story in the southwest part of the mosque. It is located behind the porched entrance and reached by wooden stairs from outside. It was designed as two separate places divided by a big window. Among these two places, the one in the west is the front section that provides a passageway to the masjid in the east. Other than that, there are rich hand drawn ornaments observed in both sections (Unar & Karagoz, 2021). The front side of the mahfili looks to the courtyard side with three windows and one door with baroque-styled transom windows in each of them. The room walls are covered with the underglaze technique blue and white tiles. Besides that, the side of the mahfili draws attention with square and rectangular formed tiles covering the front room walls (refer Figure 81). It considered as a reflection of the Ottoman tradition in the Crimea (Unar & Karagoz, 2021). Fig 80: The view of the hunkar mahfili Fig 81: The view of the front side of the hunkar mahfili 4.2.1 Visual Analysis of Tilework at the Room Wall of Hunkar Mahfili The walls are covered with square formed tiles that are encircled with rectangular formed border tiles. It used underglaze technique with the usage of cobalt blue, turquoise, and brownish red colors. Moreover, the colors are broken up in some tile plates. It also used 24x24 cm square formed tiles. Furthermore, a large-sized hatayi design is observed in the middle of the tile. There are vegetal elements coming out under and on the upper side of the hatayi and they also connected to a large daggershaped leaf. There are also two branches coming from the upper side by making curves end with two bell-styled patterns ending with tulips. Fig 82: The detail of thehunkar mahfili tiles Fig 83 & 84: The detail and drawing of the squared form tile 16
It also used 24 x 16.5 cm sized rectangular-shaped border tiles. It has the vegetal motif originating from the hatayi at the center. The branches curving out over the hatayi connect to a half hatayi at left and a dagger leaf at right. The hatayi that comes out with one branch at the lower part connects with another hatayi. The long edges of the tile were bordered with a thin turquoise band (Unar & Karagoz, 2021). Therefore, Hatayi is an Ottoman/Turkish floral system. It is one of the Islamic biomorphic patterns that heavily inspired from nature. Fig 85 & 86: The detail and drawing of the rectangular formed tile 4.2.2 Design Issues on the Context and Application It is preferable for the tiles to provide the continuity of the composition. It is observed that the order is sometimes disarranged and from time to time the tiles in the lower line are rotated by 180 degrees. It merits attention that tiles under the window of the eastern wall were assembled by rotationg them 90 degrees. This indicate that the tiles were laid down in a careless way by craftsmen who was not expert regarding these tiles (Unar & Karagoz, 2021). 5.0 Educational Visit to National Craft Institute (IKN) There is a visit to National Craft Institute on 27th March 2023, Monday with the third year of Conservation students, also with Dr. Zumahiran, as the studio lecturer. When we arrived, the IKN staffs welcomed us to the National Craft Institute and showed us their gallery that consists of the students' artworks. Fig 87 & 88: The ceramic objects that made by IKN students that have in the gallery Fig 89: One of the artworks that replicate the chess objects Fig 90: One of the IKN staff explaining about the artwork 17
5.1 Demonstration of Coloured the Bisque There is also a demonstration on how to coloured the bisque tiles using poster colours provided by them. Besides that, they also have provided two bisque tiles for each of the students to experiment more the usage of the colours. Tools used: Poster colours, brushes, paper, palette, water, clear spray paint There are a few steps to colour the bisque tile, guided by Cik Ta:- 1.Use white colour as the base. 2. Then, choose lighter color to darker color to make gradient. 3. Colour another bisque with same technique but using different colours. 4. Dry the coloured bisque for a while. 5. Then, spray the clear paint on the coloured bisque to make it shiny and wait for it to dry. Fig 91: The tools for colouring activity that provided by IKN staff Fig 92: The white colour for the base Fig 93: Use yellow colour as the lighter colour Fig 94: Add red as second colour and black as darker colour to make gradient Fig 95 & 96: Do the same step as before for another bisque Fig 97: Spray the clear paint on the coloured bisque Fig 98 & 99: The finished product 5.2 Demonstration of Carving on a Clay Slab After the colour demonstration, Cik Ta also explaining on how to carve on a slab of clay using proper tools. All of the students were provided by the staff of a slab of clay that has a flower motif on it. The flower motif is being traced by a paper on top of the slab and using a blunt pencil or tool to transfer the design to the slab. There are a few steps to carve the flower motif:- 1.Trace the design using a knife cutter or scalpel. 2. Then, start to carve the outline using scalpel. 3. Carve the background of the flower using chisel. 4. Smoothen out the slab using a sponge and water, use brush and water for the detail part. 18
5. Then, make shading on the motif using chisel and smoothen out again. 6. Let it dry for a few days before firing. Fig 100: The provided clay slab that already has flower motif on it Fig 101: Trace back the design using knife Fig 102: Use scalpel to carve the outline of the design Fig 103: Carve the background using chisel Fig 104: Smoothen the clay using sponge water Fig 105: Make shading on the design using chisel Fig 106: Smoothen the clay again Fig 107: The finished clay before firing 6.0 Design Development of the Tiles Design There are three design consultations happened before the final design. For the first consultation, there are two design themes and three design concepts of the tiles design and there is no design theory and design philosophy yet. Then, the second consultation, there are still two design themes and three design concepts that have a brief explanation on it. Besides that, there are also design philosophies, design theories, design aesthetics and design elements with the thorough explanation of it to relate with the concept. As for the third consultation, the best design concept has been chosen and there are proposals of colour palettes with its clarification on why the colours are chosen for the design concept. 6.1 First Concept - Light of Guidance For the first design concept, 'Light of Guidance' , it is under the 'Mosque's Privilege' theme. Fig 108: The first design theme and the first design concept with its explanation 19
Fig 112: The inspiration of the first design concept Fig 109: First proposed area is the back entrance of the mosque (Sister's entrance) The first proposed area is at the back entrance of the mosque, specifically at the sister's entrance (refer Figure 109) with the length of 647 cm. The function of this area is, it is where people going in and out of the mosque. Besides that, the reason to implement the proposed tiles on this area are to attract people to go to the mosque, to show the beauty of Islamic ornamentation and to welcome the people for coming to the mosque. The design philosophy, design theory and design aesthetic for the first design concept will be explained in the Figure 110 below. Also, refer Figure 111 for the design elements of the first design concept. Other than that, there is also a few pictures that inspired to do this first design concept. Fig 110: The design philosophy, design theory and design aesthetic of 'Light of Guidance' concept Fig 111: The design elements of the 'Light of Guidance' concept 20
6.2 Second Concept - Garden of Paradise The proposed area for the second design concept is at the same place as the first design concept (Figure 109). It is also under the same theme as the first design concept, which is 'Mosque's Privilege' theme. In this concept, there are two proposals with different design composition. However, for the first proposal, there will be no design philosophy and design theory. It is only for the second proposal. Other than that, there is also a figure that will explain the design philosophy, design theory and design aesthetic for the second design proposal. Also, the explanation on the design elements will be shown in Figure 117. Fig 113: The first design theme and the second design concept with its explanation Fig 115: The inspiration of the first proposal for second design concept Fig 114: The first design composition with its design aesthetic for the second design concept and proposed colour palette Fig 116: The design philosophy, design theory and design aesthetic of the second proposal of 'Garden of Paradise' concept 21
Fig 117: The second design proposal and its design elements of the 'Garden of Paradise' concept 6.3 Third Concept - Beauty of the World For the third concept, there is other proposed area and other design theme. The proposed area is at the mirror area near the sister's wudhu' area at ground floor of the mosque. The function of this area is where the female students get ready before and after prayer. The reason to implement the proposed tiles on this area are to cover the current defect, which is peeling paint and to prevent further defects. Other than that, to beautify the area for soothing the eyes and to show the beauty of Islamic ornamentation. Fig 118: The second design theme and the third design concept with its explanation There are three design proposals for the third design concept, however, only the third design have the design philosophy, design theory and design elements. Fig 119: The first design composition with its design aesthetic for the third design concept and proposed colour palette Fig 120: The inspiration of the first proposal for third design concept 22
Fig 121: The second design composition with its design aesthetic for the third design concept and proposed colour palette Fig 122: The inspiration of the second proposal for third design concept Fig 123: The design philosophy, design theory and design aesthetic of the third proposal of 'Beauty of the World' concept Fig 124: The third design proposal and its design elements of the 'Beauty of the World' concept 6.4 Chosen Concept and Colour Proposals The chosen concept is 'Light of Guidance' concept, which is the first concept. In this part, there will be an updated design of the first concept and three colour proposals with its explanation on each of the colours. Fig 125 & 126: The updated design and its composition Fig 127: One of the tiles at the column of the main prayer hall in SHAS mosque, IIUM as reference 23
Fig 128: First colour proposal and its explanation Fig 129: Second colour proposal and its explanation Fig 130 & 131: Inspiration of the first and second colour proposals from the tiles of IIUM SHAS mosque Fig 132: Third colour proposal and its explanation Fig 133: Fourth colour proposal and its explanation 24
6.5 Final Design The chosen colour from the colour proposals is the second colour proposal. Then, the design is drawn in a 2D/3D software, which is AutoCad to make it more precise and neat. The steps are refers to YouTube video titled, ' Geometric Drawing - 10 fold Rosette Pattern / Lukisan/Menggambar Geometri by Nik Zarina (2021) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) Fig 135: Assembled the design Fig 136: Apply the colours on the design Fig 134: Steps to make the ten-fold rosette geometry pattern 25
7.0 Tiles Mockup For the tiles mockup, it is an exercise or 'try and error' activity, where the materials used are not the exact one, but a replicate one. Tools used: Foam board (substitute of clay), printed design on paper (the exact size of the tiles), masking tape, pencil, scalpel/knife, acrylic paint Steps to make the tiles mockup:- 1.Cut the foam board to the exact size of the tiles (20x20) cm. 2. Coloured the back of the printed design using a pencil. 3. Tape the printed design on top of the foam board. 3. Then, trace the design using a pencil. 4. Carve the design. 5. Coloured the design using acrylic paint. Fig 137: Coloured the back of the paper Fig 138: Tape the paper on the foam board Fig 139: Trace the design using pencil Fig 140: Finished transfer the design Fig 141: Carve the design using scalpel Fig 142: Finished carve the design Fig 143: Coloured the design using acrylic paint Fig 144: The line is half black and half white, to look which is more better 8.0 Process of Making the Tiles 8.1 Handmade Tiles The production of handmade tiles is taking about 10 days approximately. In this part, there will be an explanation on the steps to make the handmade tiles. Materials used: Clay, water, underglaze paints, transparent glaze, acrylic paints Tools used: Roller pin, pottery tools (chisel, clay cutter, brush), wooden slab, printed design (20x20) cm, knife/scalpel, brush, blunt pencil/pen (a) Underglaze paint (b) Roller pin (c) Transparent glaze (d) Pottery tools Fig 145: Some of the materials and tools used in the process of making the handmade tiles 26
Steps to make handmade tiles:- 1.Kneading the clay for at least 10 minutes to make sure the air bubble is completely out (Figure 147). 2. Use roller pin to flatten the clay (Figure 148) and put the wooden slab at the sides to make sure the desired thickness can get by flatten it (Figure 149). 3. Put the printed design that has been divided by 4 (10x10) cm on top of the clay and cut the clay using scalpel (Figure 150) and use sponge to smoothen out the clay. 4. Do the same for three more clay and put the clay on the wooden slab and dry the clay for 24 hours (Figure 151). 5. After 1 day, the clay become a bit hard and start to trace the design using a blunt pen and printed paper (10x10) cm (Figure 152). 6. Repeat the same method to another three slab of clay. 7. Carve the design using scalpel and chisel (Figure 154 & 155) and also make shading using chisel too (Figure 156). 8. Then, dry for about 2 days in the ceramic lab to make sure the clay tiles are completely dry (Figure 157). 9. After the clay tiles are completely dry, do the first firing that called bisque firing for about 1 day (Figure 158). 10. After the bisque firing (Figure 160), start to paint the tiles using underglaze paint (Figure 162), transparent glaze (Figure 167) and acrylic paint. 11. Dry the glaze bisque for about 1 day and do the second firing, which is glaze firing and it is officially done. Fig 146: The clay before kneading Fig 147: Knead the clay for 10 minutes Fig 148: Use roller pin to flatten the clay Fig 149: Put the wooden thing besides the clay Fig 150: Cut the clay using scalpel Fig 151: The finished cut slab of clay and wait for dry Fig 152: Trace the design using blunt pen Fig 153: Finished tracing the design Fig 154: Carve the design using scalpel Fig 155: Use chisel for the detail part Fig 156: Make shading using a chisel Fig 157: The finished carved and shaded bisque Fig 158: Put the bisque in a kiln Fig 159: 1 day of bisque firing Fig 160: The tiles after the bisque firing Fig 161: Paint the tiles using underglaze paint Fig 162: The finished glazed tiles Fig 163: Stir the transparent glaze well Fig 164: Put the transparent glaze on the tiles Fig 165: Finished putting the transparent glaze Fig 166: Put transparent glaze on the tile that does not underglaze Fig 167: Finished tile after put the transparent glaze 27
8.2 Using Casting Method and Making a Product Other than handmade tiles, there is also tiles using casting method. Besides that, there is a product that made by the clay too, which is brooch plate. Steps to make the casting method:- 1.Knead the clay for 10 minutes. 2. Flatten the clay using roller pin (Figure 168), then put on top of the plaster cast that have been made by the ceramic lab staff. 3. Press the clay onto the plaster and cut the excessive clay. 4. Then, try to getting out the clay from the plaster cast (Figure 169). 5. Use slip to smoothen out the edges and the clay (Figure 171) and let it dry before firing. 6. After it completely dry, fire it in the kiln. Steps to make the brooch plate (product):- 1.Knead the clay and flatten it using roller pin (Figure 173). 2. Shape the clay with the desired shape (Figure 174). 3. Make the details using pottery tool (Figure 175) and let it dry before firing. 4. After it completely dry, fire it in the kiln. Fig 168: Flatten the clay Fig 169: Getting out the clay from the cast Fig 170: The clay after getting out from the cast Fig 171: Use slip to smoothen out the clay Fig 172: The tiles after the firing Fig 173: Flatten the clay Fig 174: Shaping the clay Fig 175: Make the details of the plate Fig 176: The finished brooch plate before firing Fig 177: The finished brooch plate after firing 28
9.0 2D and 3D Drawing of the Tiles The 2D drawing of the tiles are made in AutoCad, while for the 3D drawing produced by 3D Max. The process on making the 2D drawing of the tiles has been explained in 6.5 Final Design. Fig 178: The detail drawing of the tiles without colour Fig 179: The tile composition without colour Fig 180: The detail drawing of the tiles with colour Fig 181: The tile composition with colour Fig 182: 3D views of the tiles from different perspective (a) (b) Fig 183: The detail of the 3D view 29
10.0 The Application of the Tiles on the Proposed Area 11.0 Conclusion In conclusion, the author gain so much knowledge regarding wall tiles, especially ceramic wall tiles. The author has been doing the production of the tiles making with enjoyment and also an exciting experience. Besides that, the process of deriving concept and relates it with Islamic design philosophy, design theory and design aesthetic has been so much challenging for the author, as it is a new task that has not been done before. Therefore, it is a great experience and beautiful journey to make this project along with the support from classmates and guidance from studio lecturer and masters of ceramic objects. Fig 184: The 2D drawing of the proposed area with the application of the tiles without colours Fig 185: The 2D drawing of the proposed area with the application of the tiles with colours 30
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