Introducing Dzek + Formafantasma: ExCinere

ExCinere is a refined collection of volcanic ash-glazed tiles, born by way of a years-long collaboration with Italian research-based design studio Formafantasma and London-based slow-design specialist Dzek.

Exclusively available in the United States through OUTERclé, the collection puts a new spin on the tradition of using volcanic ash as a building material. It’s freeze-thaw rated and resistant to both heat and UV rays, making it ideal for almost any climate and also functional indoors.

Photo by Asa Rodger

Textured mossy green tiles on a wall corner.

Dzek + Formafantasma: ExCinere

Brutalist Elegance

The collection is an homage to the enduring attraction between humans and the impossible force of nature. In fact, its very name, Latin for “from ashes,” refers to the centuries-old process of using volcanic lava from Sicily’s Mt. Etna (employed extensively by Sicilian craftsmen as a local building material) to create refined, elevated tile.

Says Formafantasma, “Mount Etna is a mine without miners; it is excavating itself to expose its raw materials.” The resulting tile, finished with meticulously crafted ash glazes, tells the story of the region, whose landscape and environment is constantly changing due to the frequent eruptions of Mt. Etna.

Clay and ash being weighed on a scale for tile making.

A pile of fine ash from the ExCinere making process.

An ExCinere glaze is applied from a spray gun.

The Collection: Obsessively Designed

Formafantasma takes an intensive, almost obsessive approach to their designs, even exploring the ecological, historical, political, and social forces that shape design as a whole. ExCinere is no exception. Its creation was an adventure in culture and material science, as the high metal oxide content in volcanic ash and basalt rock makes the material complex and unpredictable to work with.

A partnership with Dzek, who famously produces architectural materials guided by nature, ultimately brought the collection to life. It took three years of constant experimentation involving exploding, imploding, cracking, and caving to find a formula that worked. In ExCinere, they managed to create a careful balance of porcelain body, ash glazes, firing temperature, and method.

Dzek + Formafantasma: ExCinere

Brown tiles in varying shades on a floor.

Dzek + Formafantasma: ExCinere Double Pixies in Terra A, Terra B, Terra C and Terra D. Photograph by Keiji Ashizawa.

…And Versatile

ExCinere tile is available in two glaze families, Terra and Verdigris. Together, they offer eight timeless shades — ranging from terracotta to rich green and deep brown — in two sizes suitable for use indoors and out. Given its raw yet elegant energy, the tile is well suited for the LOTUS, KENJO, and ’58 scapes alike.

Porcelain clay adds to the tile’s versatility, making it an ideal choice for exterior walls, pool basins and waterlines, fire pit surrounds, and a whole range of indoor applications (backsplashes and shower walls included).

Artistic, primal, daring, industrial, sophisticated. Think: a battle of wills between man and volcano.