Dezeen Magazine

Bisazza Cementiles by Fernando & Humberto Campana

Campana brothers create tile collection based on Brazilian gemstones

The Agate gemstone commonly found in Brazil provided the inspiration for these handmade tiles, designed by Fernando and Humberto Campana for Italian brand Bisazza.

The São Paulo-based design duo created a simple motif for the Brazilian Agata tile design, designed to resemble the distinct layers that make up these colourful geode stones.

Bisazza Cementiles by Fernando & Humberto Campana

Their aim was to capture both "the richness of Brazil and the immense fortune of petrified crystals".

"When Bisazza invited us to do this project, I decided to bring something from my country," said Humberto Campana, speaking to Dezeen at a launch event during Milan design week.

"There is a shop nearby my studio of Brazilian stones," he continued. "I go very often to observe, whenever I'm feeling stressed. I'm fascinated with the colours."

Bisazza Cementiles by Fernando & Humberto Campana

Agate stones are typically found within volcanic rocks. Their colourful bands are made up of alternating layers of crystalline quartz and chalcedony, which is a form of silica.

Brazilian agate typically features brown shades, along with white and grey tones.

Bisazza Cementiles by Fernando & Humberto Campana

The stones are often dyed before being used as ornaments – and the Campanas' tiles reflect this. Created by blending high-strength cement with coloured oxides, they come in hues of green, yellow, red and blue.

The tiles are square, measuring 20 centimetres wide. This means they can be orientated differently to create more random patterns.

Bisazza Cementiles by Fernando & Humberto Campana

The Campana brothers ranked at number 45 on the designers section of the inaugural Dezeen Hot List. They are best known for designs including the Favela Chair, which is made from strips of wood, and the Cartoon Chair, made with Disney toys.

Brazilian Agata forms part of the Bisazza Cementiles collection. Other designers that have contributed to this range include Jaime Hayon, India Mahdavi and Tom Dixon, who created designs referencing London's architectural landmarks.

The collection was on show at Bisazza's Milan showroom throughout the design week. The brand also launched another nature-inspired collection at the same time –  a series of tiles inspired by the Great Barrier Reef, by Australian designer Greg Natale.