Design brand Mutina at the Milano Design Week 2026

Long established as a key voice in the ongoing dialogue between architecture, design and contemporary art, Mutina continues to distinguish itself through collections defined by experimental textures, refined geometries and a forward-looking use of colour. Central to the brand’s identity is its long-standing collaboration with internationally recognised designers and architects, whose work spans high-end residential projects, hospitality environments and exhibition design.

At Milan Design Week 2026, Mutina unveiled three new collections that further articulate this vision: Hé and Weaving, both designed by multidisciplinary studio Neri&Hu, alongside Homage to the Square, developed in collaboration with the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation. Together, these launches reaffirm Mutina’s commitment to contemporary art and material research, an approach that is formally embedded in the brand’s Mutina for Art platform.

Founded in Shanghai in 2004 by Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, Neri&Hu operates across architecture, interiors and product design, with a practice grounded in the intersection of tradition and innovation. Recognised internationally for a research-driven and culturally informed approach, the studio positions design as an act that extends beyond pure functionality to generate meaning and narrative.

Within the context of Milan Design Week 2026, Neri&Hu introduced Hé, a collection of ceramic design objects that references Hegel’s conception of symbolic art, alongside Weaving, a ceramic surface inspired by the ancient Chinese craft of bamboo weaving. Translating a tactile, artisanal process into an industrial material language, Weaving explores the visual and structural qualities of interlacing through ceramic form. Designed for both indoor and outdoor applications, and suitable for floors and wall coverings, Weaving is available in a range of formats and shapes that support three distinct interlaced patterns.
This modularity allows architects and designers to develop varied spatial narratives, supported by a palette of natural tones that echo the different stages of bamboo maturation.

The dialogue with art continues in Homage to the Square, created in collaboration with the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, the institution dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of two pivotal figures of the Bauhaus. Josef Albers devoted much of his work to the study of colour interaction, investigating how perception shifts through rigorous, repetitive geometric frameworks. Drawing on this legacy, Mutina developed a collection rooted in extensive experimentation with glazes, pigments and ceramic processes, while revisiting the square motif that defines Albers’ most iconic paintings.

The result is a non-rectified porcelain stoneware tile, produced in a 15×15 cm format and offered in seven carefully balanced colour tones. With Homage to the Square, Mutina translates an art-historical investigation into a contemporary architectural surface, reinforcing its role as a bridge between visual culture, design research and the built environment.