Monolith

Tropical Modernism has always had a particular charm. It took the clean geometry of modernist architecture and gave it a rather different personality. Across South America and parts of Africa, concrete became much more than a practical building material. It could be sculptural, decorative and surprisingly expressive.

Some of the most interesting examples are the abstract murals and reliefs that became part of the architecture itself. Carved stone, cast concrete and geometric compositions brought a wonderful sense of artistry to otherwise simple buildings. The decoration belonged to the architecture rather than sitting separately from it.

Monolith borrows from that world, particularly the bold abstract forms and modular thinking of the period. I like the freedom of those old relief murals, where simple shapes could suggest almost anything.

There’s also a lovely contrast between the weight of the original inspiration and the intricacy of the mosaic. Those great concrete murals often relied on their physical presence, while Monolith explores similar ideas through thousands of tiny pieces of stone.

Monolith carries a little of that adventurous modernist spirit. It’s abstract, decorative and quite happy to leave its shapes open to interpretation.

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