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Nexion carves light into ceramic

How Nexion’s craftsmanship and innovative production create unique ceramic surfaces

05 Aug 2025

From safe and silent backdrops, Nexion’s Ombre tiles translate tiles into spatial storytellers. A collection of sintered tiles by Nexion, Ombre is available in five patterns — Punto, Croce, Forme, Trame, and Picché. Moulded by hand, these surfaces undergo a particular method of earth pressing, resulting in each piece encompassing the imprints of human craftsmanship.

Taking inspiration from the fundamentals of musical Ombre, every piece in the collection is awash with depth, refinement and movement. For architects and designers wanting to build something out of the ordinary, surfaces by Ombre impart an earthy aesthetic while maintaining their porcelain form.

Wall: Ombre Forme Taupe, Floor: Picche Taupe. Photography Courtesy: Nexion

CRAFT REVOLUTION

Hand-drawn patterns are translated directly into tile, with no digital smoothing to erase the artist’s intent. Imbuing depth and dynamism, a sequence of sections where patterns are clearly defined and others where they appear to fade represents the passage of time.

The secret lies in the 1.5 millimetre deep relief engraving technique. While two-dimensional ceramics reflect uniformly, Ombre’s relief shifts between shadow and highlight, rendering walls life as daylight moves across them.

FIVE CHARACTERS

Five patterns serve different spatial needs. Punto’s minimalist dots create a quiet and meditative atmosphere. Croce evokes traditional needlework through delicate intersecting lines. Balancing dots with elongated strokes, the second variety, Forme, captivates an array of gentle and sinuous shapes. Trame draws from Indian iconography with crisp geometric patterns.

Wall: Ombre Punto Nude, Floor: Picche Nude. Photography Courtesy: Nexion

Wall: Ombre Punto Espresso, Ombre Croce Espresso, Floor: Picché Espresso. Photography Courtesy: Nexion

Picché transforms raw, earthy textures into refined architectural appeal. Featuring Nexion’s CoreTech surface technology, each pattern is divided into five earthy tones, namely Taupe, Nude, Calce, Cotto, & Espresso. Integrating colour at its raw material stage, Nexion creates a full body construction of the tile without any external prints.

BEAUTY BUILT TO LAST

At a time when designs are made at a breakneck pace and the world is embracing algorithms and automations, this collection stands as the paragon of human creativity. Nexion gives power to Ombre with the weight of the human mind, each shadowing the memory of an artisan’s hand, in every piece they bring forward.