tesselations
Shapes covering surfaces
Tessellations are patterns of shapes that fit together without gaps or overlaps, covering a surface completely.
The term comes from geometry, where regular tessellations use identical polygons—squares, triangles, hexagons—repeated infinitely.
The concept extends to art and design: Escher's tessellations transform geometric patterns into interlocking birds and fish.
Honeycomb is nature's classic tessellation.
- EscherDutch impossible-geometry artist
- tilingSurface-covering arrangement
- repeating patternSequence that recurs regularly
- repeatingOccurring more than once
- geometric shapesForms with defined boundaries
interlocking · jigsaw puzzle · tiles · floor tiles · Islamic art · geometry · honeycomb · vertex · arabesque · Euclidean geometry · sacred geometry · congruence · art · cellular structure · hexagons · pattern · kaleidoscope · squares
tesselationsgaps
Unfilled spaces between
voids · fragmentation · lacunae · negative space · discontinuity
tesselationschaos
Complete disorder and confusion
randomness · disorder · formlessness · disarray · entropy
tesselationsoverlaps
Partially covers another area
superimposition · stacking · lamination · collage · palimpsest