Toni Cumella, third-generation ceramicist and owner of the 10-person tile factory Ceramica Cumella.
Toni Cumella's son, Guillem, represents the fourth generation of the family's legacy and expertise in ceramics.
One of three 1,500-square-meter (5,400-square-foot) floors in the factory.
The extruder uses a variety of dies, many custom made for each project.
Dies for the extruding machine line the shelves.
This machine sprays glaze using multiple arms to accommodate three-dimensional pieces.
Prior to firing, which the factory typically limits to a once per piece, the formed clay awaits in a heated dryer to decrease its moisture content. These pieces are designed for a perforated screen wall for a private residence.
Some ceramics pieces are extruded with knock-out pieces to provide structural integrity during the manufacturing process.
Glazing contains different minerals to produce its color as well as frit to achieve its designated finish (e.g. glossy or matte). Cobalt is used to produce the blue hues.
Glazing color tests.
A record of colors used for a project.
An unfinished art piece by Toni Cumella's father, Antoni, hangs in Toni's office.
Examples of Ceramica Cumella's work.
Ceramica Cumella's work includes the decorative tile on Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia.
A mosaic of the tiles used on the tile roof of the Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona. Ceramica Cumella used 67 different colored glazings in the iconic roof.
