The Creative Process: Brahman Perera x Riva Ceramica

Known for his fearless approach to colour, material and form, Brahman Perera brought his distinctive creative lens to Riva Ceramica for a special NGV Design Week collaboration — creating an original coffee table using hand-painted tiles.

GALLERY  

The project became as much about experimentation and process as the finished piece itself, with Brahman bringing a distinctive vision and unexpected approach to the material.

While known as an interior designer, there is an artistry to the way Brahman works with colour and material. Watching that creative process unfold — testing ideas, challenging possibilities and responding to the material — was what made the collaboration particularly exciting for the Riva team.

From concept to experimentation

From the outset, sampling and experimentation became an integral part of the creative process.

Because each tile is hand-painted, colour, tone and finish can respond differently through the making process. Multiple samples were explored and refined as Brahman and the Riva team worked towards a combination that captured the intent of the piece.

As with any truly bespoke design, the process also involved working through the possibilities and limitations of the material itself. Certain elements of the initial concept required further exploration, creating an opportunity for Brahman and Riva to problem-solve together and evolve the design without compromising its creative integrity.

It became a genuinely collaborative process — testing, responding and finding new solutions as the piece developed.

A work in progress

The first prototype was unveiled during Riva’s Design Week event, Design Voices: Where Object Meets Space, where it attracted significant attention and became a talking point throughout the evening.

The piece remains an evolving design, with further development and refinement continuing between Brahman and Riva and the finer details intentionally being kept under wraps as the collaboration progresses.

For Riva, that process is part of what makes the project so exciting. Great design isn’t always a straight line from concept to finished object — it can emerge through experimentation, material knowledge, creative problem-solving and the willingness to keep pushing an idea further.

More than a showroom

Collaborations like this represent what Riva wants its showroom to be: not simply a place to select tiles, but a creative space where designers can experiment with material, challenge convention and bring new ideas to life.

Working with designers like Brahman allows that process to move beyond specification and into genuine creative collaboration — combining the designer’s vision with Riva’s material knowledge and understanding of what is technically possible.

The result is something neither party necessarily would have created independently.

And perhaps that’s the most exciting part of collaboration: the unexpected things that happen when creative minds, materials and ideas are given room to evolve.

Visit Riva Ceramica for more information!

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