Blatt & Matonelli

Reimagining traditional tile-making practices to connect with history, identity & belonging.

About the Collaboration

Blatt & Matonelli is rooted in cultural storytelling, placemaking, and visual connection. Formed by two artists of migrant heritage, representing different waves of migration to Australia from the 1960s to today, it is collaboration between artist Katherine Palella and multidisciplinary designer Sirena Varma, both based in Magan-djin, Australia.

Their work reimagines traditional tile-making practices through a contemporary lens. Drawing on the aesthetics of the Mediterranean and Levant, their designs celebrate the richness of cultural heritage while speaking to the layered and evolving nature of Australian identity.

This project reflects an ongoing attempt to reclaim traditional practices as a means of connection to history, identity, and belonging.

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Contact us at blattandmatonelli@gmail.com

We acknowledge the sovereign custodians of Turrbal, Yuggera, and Quandamooka lands, where we live, create, and work. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.

© 2025 Sirena Varma and Katherine Palella.