Venice’s Mosaic Tile House reflects artists’ love and obsession | KCRW

Cheri Pann and Gonzalo Duran stand reflected in the mosaic mirrors plastered on the garden wall of the home the pair have decorated inside and out with mosaic tile art and paintings. Photo by Olivia Richard.

Tucked away just east of Venice Beach, amidst a row of unassuming homes, stands a unique marvel: The Mosaic Tile House. This artistic haven, crafted by Cheri Pann and Gonzalo Duran, is an explosion of creativity and color.

Since they bought the home in 1994, the pair has meticulously covered every inch of the house in art, from bejeweled bathtubs, strings of bottle caps, and fragments of glass mugs to steel dragons that wrap the home's fences.

Inspired by “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wizard of Oz,” the artists offer a unique, immersive experience with ever-changing stories and images around every corner for visitors to explore. Photo by Olivia Richard.

The house attracts a broad audience, thanks to its viral fame on social media. Tourists can wander through on Saturday afternoons for $20.

Chen Lou from southeast China took it all in and traveled the world exploring artist masterpieces: “I have been to Barcelona, and this house reminds me of the work and art of Gaudi.”

Married in 1994, Cheri Pann and Gonzalo Durnan have been using one another as artistic muses for nearly 30 years. Photo by Olivia Richard.

The artists themselves see the house as an expression of their love.

Pann and Duran’s journey together started in 1992, in a way that seems almost fated for two artists: over a paint counter at a local art supply store.

"I was buying paint, and he was selling paint. And I reached over the counter and started kissing him," Pann recalls. Their spontaneous connection has since blossomed into a shared life of art, turning a once "ugly" brown house into a living masterpiece of tile, steel, and glass.

Both are trained artists. Pann has been working with paint for nearly 63 years, while Duran, who specializes in painting and constructing automaton sculptures, holds a masters in fine art from the Chouinard Art Institute.

Every inch of the house reflects a decades-long, ever-evolving series of "honey-do" projects, Pann says. “I make the tile and tell him what I’m thinking. … And then I let him go and he makes the forms.”

At The Mosaic Tile House, the couple has transformed the outdoor portico into a garden of glass, steel, and knickknacks collected from around the city. Photo by Olivia Richard.

“What you see is a style called Picassiette,” says Tami Macala, an artist and former president of the Society of American Mosaic Artists.

Picassiette, which translates to “stolen from the plate,” is a mosaic style originated in 1938 by French artist Raymond Isidore. It incorporates ceramic shards, broken dishes, and other found objects into a mosaic design.

“It takes great skill to create a balanced and intentional work in this style, and I love the work they have created,” says Macala. “It takes an eye for art and the understanding of many different art elements to create such a balanced look.”

Dubbed the "Love Tub," the pair of artists have turned a rusted pewter clawfoot bathtub, destined for the trash heap, into a beautifully bejeweled mosaic bench. Photo by Olivia Richard.

Pann’s vision for the house is expansive.

"It needs to stay open to the public as a living studio," she asserts. “It can't be simply torn down, I want it to live on and become something more, something new for the next generation of artists.”

The pair is actively working to ensure that vision comes to life. In the back garden, the couple has dedicated a wall, once covered in damaged tiles, to the talents and imaginations of a group of young emerging mosaic artists. The couple hopes that these new creatives will be able to breathe the story of their own lives and experiences into the walls of the home that for decades has expressed their own love story.

The home is open to visitors by reservation every Saturday from 12-3 p.m. Appointments can be made by emailing Pann and Duran at [email protected].