The Artists
Motawi Tile is made by the sibling duo of Karim and Nawal Motawi and their staff of talented artisans. Nawal studied sculpture and ceramics at the University of Michigan and learned tile-making at Pewabic Pottery. She is the stubborn one of the pair and the artistic force behind the Tileworks. Karim, also educated at the U of M, runs the production studio and teaches tile-making classes. He is the sweet-talking process innovator.

The Artistry
We make Motawi Tile in our Ann Arbor studio using locally produced clay and glazes mixed on site to our own recipes. Our aesthetic influences include early 20th Century decorative artists such as Mary Chase Stratton, Adelaide Robineau, Louis Sullivan, C.F. Voysey, William DeMorgan, and Dard Hunter. Our designs have evolved from Nawal’s continuous exploration of historical decorative art combined with some brotherly suggestions by Karim.

Company History
The Motawi Tileworks was founded in 1992 when Nawal set up a table at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market and was commissioned to create her first fireplace installation. Six months later she was joined by her brother Karim and they moved the studio into a two-car garage. Today the Motawi Tileworks employs around 30 people and occupies its own 12,600 square foot studio and showroom.

What Is a Motawi?
Motawi is an Arabic name, as are Nawal and Karim. Their father, Kamal, is from Egypt where Motawi is not so unusual. Their American looks come from their mom, Karen.