The most recent edition of Cersaie leaves us with a reflection. Innovation in ceramics is no longer limited to replicating materials more accurately, but also encompasses the discovery of new methods for designing surfaces, building spaces, and interpreting the material.

Every year we come to Cersaie with our attention focused on new products. We tour the pavilions, analyse the collections, observe the finishes and materials, and talk to the companies. However, our focus is not only on identifying new products, but also on understanding what changes are taking place behind them.

And in this edition we have found an idea that runs through a large part of the proposals. Ceramics do not need to abandon their traditional references to continue evolving. What you need is to find new ways to interpret them. Terracotta, marble, stone, and wood continue to feature prominently. They are widely known materials and continue to be a fundamental source of inspiration for ceramic design. What’s changing is the way we approach them.

Stone surfaces take on a more balanced and elegant appearance, although they also gain visual richness thanks to the presence of sedimentation, small mineral inclusions, fossils and nuances that can be seen when observed up close. For their part, terracottas evolve towards more intense tones, while woods combine the freshness and naturalness of light tones with the elegance and depth of darker tones. The surface no longer seeks to resemble a material alone. It seeks to transmit its qualities.

The Appeal of the Imperfect

For years, much of the innovation has focused on achieving increasingly precise and uniform surfaces. However, nowadays everything that adds personality is gaining weight, such as slight irregularities, colour variations, textures and details reminiscent of artisanal work. This trend is especially noticeable in small formats, which once again stand out as a space to experiment with designs and finishes.

Reactive glazes, transparency effects, changing brightness, and vibrant colors give each piece a character of its own. In turn, geometry, joints and the repetition of patterns allow for the creation of dynamic compositions that move away from homogeneity. More than a return to craftsmanship from nostalgia, it is about transferring its attributes and aesthetic richness to the capabilities offered by today’s industry.

Surfaces that dialogue with light

Another issue that has caught our attention is the growing prominence of volume. Reliefs, incisions, striations and three-dimensional geometries transform the surface and modify the way we perceive space. Light ceases to act as an external element and becomes part of the design itself. This gives rise to shadows, reflections and variations in brightness that mean that the same coating can be perceived differently throughout the day. Ceramics thus acquire a more sensory dimension. It is no longer only its appearance that matters, but also the way it is perceived and how it interacts with the environment that surrounds it.

Beyond the tile

Perhaps some of the most interesting changes observed at Cersaie 2026 are not to be found in a specific texture or in a specific colour, but in the evolution of the product concept itself. Large slabs continue to offer continuity and expand architectural possibilities, while small formats provide detail, colour and compositional capacity. These are two different scales that do not necessarily compete with each other, but can coexist and complement each other.

At the same time, ceramics extend their presence beyond flooring and cladding. We see it integrated into furniture, countertops and architectural elements, forming part of increasingly complete solutions.

We went from thinking about tile collections to thinking about tool systems for designing spaces. This change opens up new possibilities for product development, but it also requires a broader vision, capable of connecting design, technology, functionality, and architecture.

Observing the present to design what is to come

At the ITC Trends Observatory we understand that visiting a fair is not only about collecting news. Our work really begins when we put all that information in relation, look for matches, and identify signals that can anticipate new directions. Cersaie 2026 speaks to us of ceramics that are more material, expressive and sensorial, but also more versatile and linked to the architectural project. And it invites us to reflect on issues that go beyond this edition, such as the value of the origin of materials, durability, creative freedom, sensory experience and the ability of surfaces to adapt to new ways of living.

Because, after touring the fair and analyzing its proposals, we are left with a conclusion. The future of ceramics does not depend so much on finding new materials to reproduce as on discovering everything we can still do with it. And perhaps that is the most interesting transformation we are witnessing.

By: Lutzia Ortiz and Ana Benavente, The ITC Trends Observatory, Spain, for Vigilancer.

Source: https://vigilancer.es/