Mutina revives Josef Albers's geometric vision with new tile collection

Italian tile brand Mutina has launched a collection of glazed stoneware tiles inspired by Josef Albers's iconic Homage to the Square series, developed in collaboration with the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation. The tiles come in seven shades—peach, chocolate, sage, and others—with only two patterns (a dot or a dash), enabling endless arrangements. The project was initiated by consultant Ambra Medda, co-founder of Design Miami, who connected Mutina CEO Massimo Orsini with the foundation. Executive director Nicholas Fox Weber, who knew the Albers personally, emphasized the couple's commitment to quality and innovation. The tiles were created using a traditional firing technique that preserves natural kiln variations, with successive layers of glaze echoing Albers's layered paintings. The development took two years of experimentation. The foundation, founded in 1971 in Bethany, Connecticut, also collaborates with brands like Loewe and offers artist residencies. Mutina, established in 2005 in Emilia-Romagna, has previously worked with designers Patricia Urquiola and Tokujin Yoshioka.