Ombre: Textile Art Applied to Porcelain Stoneware Arrives in India

An exercise in detail, materiality, technology, innovation, and the expressive potential of ceramics, Nexion unveiled its Ombre series at Milano Design Week 2025 with a dedicated installation in the Brera Design District. The line is now available in India, a country of strategic importance for the Italo‑Indian manufacturer of high quality, large‑format sintered‑stone slabs. With this new series, Nexion has claimed a leading role in the trend for textured surfaces and textured large-format slabs with a product that combines advanced technology, design exploration, and artisanal precision.

Its name – Ombre or “shadows” – derives from the ever‑changing chiaroscuro effect produced by the way its natural hues of lime, nude, taupe, terracotta, and espresso interact with light. In developing the line, Nexion drew its inspiration from the art of embroidery and textile art to preserve and enhance their evocative potential. There are five decorative relief textures: Punto, Croce, Trame, Forme, and Picchè.

Punto features a minimal dot design with softly rounded forms. The pattern unfolds at three depths, creating a rich interplay of light, shadow, and reflection. Croce conjures up traditional needlework, with a stitched pattern that is both subtle and emphatic. Again, the pattern interacts with light to generate dynamic sculptural reflections.

Trame, on the other hand, reflects Indian visual culture and textile tradition, drawing on both architectural and fabric motifs. Its crisp, regular decorative structure produces continuous reflections of light. Forme combines simple dots and elongated lines to create a concise syntax with an ancient resonance. Its curves reflect light with an understated naturalness, evoking the tactile sense of moving fabrics.

Finally, Picchè features a low-relief design making it suitable for floors. Its pattern conveys a tactile and visual softness that suggests embroidery that has faded with time but is still rich in memory and life.

Alongside its design focus, Ombre combines artisanal wet‑mix production with CoreTech production technology to produce full‑body porcelain stoneware that expresses the raw, primordial nature of ceramic. “Thanks to an advanced formulation, the careful selection of raw materials and natural pigments, and the production technologies developed by Nexion,” the company explains, “CoreTech combines aesthetic quality and technical performance. Its textured surface creates a tactile experience and makes it possible to achieve dynamic and striking three‑dimensional effects.”

For more information: www.nexiontiles.com