Arts Narrogin exhibition reveals the undercover secrets of Giuseppe Scolaro’s marvellous mid-century tiles

An exhibition which opened in Narrogin on Saturday is revealing the undercover secrets of many WA homes.

The Underneath/Overlooked exhibition opened at Arts Narrogin last weekend, showcasing the work of Giuseppe and Anna Scolaro whose handcrafted terrazzo tiles have become the hallmark of several homes in the State.

The Scolaro family came to Australia from Sicily and established the Universal Tile Factory in Fremantle in 1952.

The exhibition is a personal story of art, immigration and cultural heritage and came about because of a mother and daughter’s search for those hand-made tiles which were a feature of WA homes in the 1950s.

The tiles had been mostly covered up and forgotten until Penny Bovell noticed them on a studio floor.

Impulsively in 2011 she then bought a house with Scolaro tiles in almost every room before discovering it had been the artist’s first family home.

Fascinated by the colours and bold patterns, she embarked on a project with daughter Gabby Howlett that became the Underneath/Overlooked exhibition.

Those at the opening saw silk reproductions of Scolaro tile patterns, an interactive pattern-making activity, photographs of the tiles in people’s homes, and items from the Scolaro family’s archives.

Ms Howlett said the tiles were crafted from marble chips, cement and vibrant pigments and transformed into stunning floors.

“Giuseppe brought colour and joy into people’s homes,” she said.

“When you look at all the floors together, they’re true works of art.”

The pair are also calling on West Australians to help uncover more terrazzo floors.

Scolaro tiles had been thought to exist in just 30 homes but the duo has since identified more than 110 properties with them.

The exhibition runs in Narrogin until July 25.

The two-year regional tour of Underneath/Overlooked has been made possible thanks to the WA Government’s regional exhibition touring support.