Stone-Ideas.com 
The stone from Iran has a rich color palette and a cloudy texture
The basic idea behind the new creation by Italian company Budri together with Italian-Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola is familiar from many art movements: a well-known work is copied by the artist himself, keeping the motif and changing only the material of a sculpture or the color of a painting. In the 1960s, the term “serial imagery“ or “series“ was coined for this.
In the case of Budri/Urquiola, known for many experimental creations with natural stone, those involved played with both the material and the colors: the classic Roman travertine, an important building material even in antiquity, was here brought together with White Onyx from Iran, whose appearance is characterized by lightness, even light-heartedness, and led to the name “Aquarel“ for the new creations.
There were other changes in the material.
As always with Budri, these are luxury-class furnishings, specifically wall coverings and tables.
The current new recreations’ models were the “Earthquake“ collections from 2013 and “Aqua“ from 2018.
About “Earthquake“: that collection had reference to the devastating earthquake in 2012 which hit the Italian province of Emilia Romagna hard. At Budri in Mirandola, the factory site was almost completely destroyed. The company had placed the first day in the alternative quarters under the motto “Crollo Ma Non Mollo” (I may collapse, but I do not give up).
At the time, the designer had artistically dealt with the disaster, assembling various furnishings from individual pieces of natural stone. One series was called “Origami,“ named after the Japanese art of folding paper.
The new creation “Origami Aquarel“ now repeats the former form of these side tables, but uses as material the onyx from Iran, whose color and cloudy structure runs over the whole piece of furniture and changes greatly on the way.
A hallmark of Budri’s craftsmanship is how the onyx clouds continue around the corners without interruption.
In a press release, the company describes the challenge of working with this material: “Our enthusiasm in this project comes from the unpredictability during the work… The clouding that characterizes Onyx changes the colors according to its intensity. It is very engaging, difficult but also stimulating to have such a direct relationship with nature.“
“Mimosa,” “Amethyst,“ and “Inciso“ are the names of three tables of the new collection. About “Elizabeth II“ Alessandra Malagoli Budri, art director of the company and initiator of the new creation, reveals the background of the design: “I liked the idea of dedicating the pastel colors of Queen Elizabeth’s dresses to a coffee table, light green, pastel yellow, salmon pink and sky blue.“
The second new creation is based on the “Aqua“ collection from 2018. White Onyx is now also used in these pieces of furniture and wall coverings, here in combination with the marbles Thassos White and Alba Chiara respectively.
“Algas“ is the name of the inlay work for the wall, and for the “Marea“ table, various onyxes are inlaid into the top. In these tables, the Roman travertine for the legs also contrasts strongly with the stones of the top.
Note: Budri was sold in July 2022 to the Italian group Mestieri, which has its focus on unique residential and retail spaces, exclusive hotels and restaurants, yachts, and cruises. It is a network of companies of excellence in Italian craftsmanship and design. “Mestieri promotes and coordinates their work and growth worldwide; belonging to the listed Group Somec, it also ensures the maximum level of warranties and quality,“ according to a press release. Budri’s CEO continues to be Gian Marco Budri.
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(28.08.2023, USA: 08.28.2023)