Offcut Plates: Inspired by the city

Films and photography by Sam Youkilis

The first inspiration for the Offcut Plates was found in the architecture and the streets, quite literally, of Guadalajara. Specifically, in the way that broken tiles from ceramic factories are commonly used as a decorative mosaic-like material for floors and pavements.

“I find this idea very beautiful; that even the most derelict piece of something can have decorative and valuable quality. It also has so much to do with the resourcefulness that I have always been attracted to. If we consider everything, every aspect, every material (everything!) in our material world to have the same importance and that nothing, really, is worth throwing away - then we can invent ways to use the most broken bits, and this becomes a new way to generate beauty.”

— Fabien Cappello

Yellow

"Guadalajara, in its attempts towards modernity, generated public spaces that would never feel as immense without the contrast of the beautiful big blue sky above."

Modern meets Vernacular

"Far away from the traditional idea one might have of a Mexican city, Guadalajara is full of exemplar models of modern architecture; a mix of rational forms, all set against vernacular and natural environments."

Fragments

"The city is famous for producing all kinds of tiles. I was fascinated to discover that even the broken pieces are part of a local economy, generating beauty by making the most out of all available resources."

All the colors of Guadalajara

"This city stimulates you on every single corner, the result of mixing ingenuity with locality and creativity. It is a city where you will never be bored."