Anni Albers

Anni Albers (1899–1994) was a German-American textile artist, designer and theorist whose work redefined modern textiles. Born in Berlin, she studied at the Bauhaus, first in the metal workshop before discovering her calling in weaving under Gunta Stölzl. There, she developed a rigorous understanding of material, structure and technique, combining precision with an experimental approach that would shape her lifelong practice.

Albers’s textiles are celebrated for their formal clarity, tactile sophistication and inventive use of natural and industrial fibres. She approached weaving as a medium of intellectual and aesthetic exploration, blending geometry, repetition and subtle colour harmonies to produce works that are simultaneously functional and sculptural. Her wall hangings, rugs and fabric designs challenged traditional hierarchies between craft and fine art, asserting textiles as a central medium of modernist innovation.

Following the closure of the Bauhaus in 1933, Albers emigrated to the United States with her husband, Josef Albers, and taught at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. There she influenced a generation of students, while continuing to expand her practice to include both large architectural textiles and small experimental samples.

A prolific writer, Albers articulated her philosophy of textiles in On Weaving (1965), emphasising the intimate connection between material, technique and visual perception. Her works are held in major collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Art Institute of Chicago. Today, Anni Albers is celebrated as a pioneering figure who bridged craft, design and fine art, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire contemporary artists and makers worldwide.

Anni Albers (1899-1994)

Untitled

Anni Albers (1899-1994)

Untitled

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Second Movement I-VI

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Untitled (Do. I-VI)

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Do. I-VI

Anni Albers (1899-1994)

Triadic nr. I

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Yellow Meander

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Camino Real

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

F, from Triadic Series

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Second Movement : two prints

Anni Albers (1899-1994)

Untitled

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

J.H.A. II

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Double impression II

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Double Impression IV

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

W/Co

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Do IV

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

J.H.A. I

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Double Impression III

ANNI ALBERS (1899-1994)

Double Impression I