Underneath/Overlooked by Penny Bovell and Gabby Howlett
Saturday 1st March 2025
(Multiple Dates Between Saturday 1st March 2025 & Friday 25th April 2025)
Postwar Italian immigrants Giuseppe and Anna Scolaro established the Universal Tile Factory in Walyalup (Fremantle) in 1952, which ran for over 20 years.
Giuseppe, a self-taught artisan, crafted decorative terrazzo tiles using vibrant pigments and Italian marble, creating intricate patterns that have become even more beautiful over time.
Underneath/Overlooked began as a search for homes and buildings that still feature these unique floors and grew into an exhibition featuring colourful silk reproductions of the Scolaro tile patterns, a pattern-making game, and photos by people who live in these spaces today.
Underneath/Overlooked honours Giuseppe and Anna’s artistic contributions and celebrates their role, like many immigrant families, in shaping the design history of Western Australia. It explores the art of terrazzo and the concept of creating a home.
First shown at Fremantle’s 10 Nights in Port Festival, this interactive experience invites viewers to take a closer look at their surroundings and consider the hidden stories within.
This project is made possible through the Regional Exhibition Touring Boost with
funding managed by Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural
Industries and from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development and delivered by ART ON THE MOVE.
Image credit: Scolaro family tile mould from Penny Bovell and Gabby Howlett: Underneath/Overlooked. Photography by Rebecca Mansell