Relic - intrudaction
My name is Udi Gardi, and I am a passionate archaeology enthusiast and an architect by profession. The RELIC project was born out of a deep love for archaeology, history, and culture. It brings together contemporary handmade art with the manuscripts and documentation of the great archaeologists and explorers of the Holy Land, creating a connection to the region’s rich historical heritage.
As part of this project, I create limited-edition series of hand-printed ceramic tiles using silk screen printing technique. The designs are inspired by archaeological stratigraphy, historical sites, ancient maps, and landscape documentation related to the cultural and historical world of the Holy Land.
Each tile is meticulously handcrafted, printed in small series, and fired in a ceramic kiln to ensure durability for hundreds, even thousands of years. The ceramics I use create a direct link to the archaeological remnants found in historical sites across the Holy Land and the world. In a way, these tiles will serve as an artifact of the global era we live in today—a relic for future archaeologists.
The imagery appeals to whoever connects to local heritage and historical roots, and who are deeply interested in the Holy Land’s sacred sites and the rich history of the Levant.
Each design is the result of an extensive research process—digging through old books, sifting through archives, flipping through pages, and randomly discovering treasures in the National Library for Archaeology. And there’s a lot to explore. I love that library. I feel at home there.
These tiles are not just decorative objects; they serve as a bridge between the history of the Holy Land and those seeking a meaningful and tangible connection to it through art. They can be hung or embedded in walls, indoors or outdoors, as a unique gift or as part of a personal art collection—pieces that hold inspiration, history, and memory.