Valencia-based designer Alberto Sánchez, co-founder of MUT Design, has launched a new brand called BERTO, and the first creation is Hidden Secrets. All the open-ended joy of the 1×1 brick, but this time, make it high design, Hidden Secrets comprises singular ceramic vessels of geometric storage, all glazed with brilliantly glossy hues straight out of a Pantone catalogue. Created in collaboration with the expertly trained artisans from S. Bernardo, masters of large-scale ceramics, they are just as stunning separately as when arranged together. Each piece is precious yet playful, spurring a sense of silliness among the somewhat mundane act of storage.
The colors of this collection are truly gorgeous – expert use of glaze imbibes the stackable pieces with a distinct luminosity, going beyond the glossy topcoat to explore a world of tint. Some are solidly colored, and some receive a crackle glaze, a touching detail that reminds us of ancient porcelain ware. On such a geometric form, this cheeky nod to the past grounds the collection in a storied lineage of clay work, creating threads of connection between materiality and humanity. An elegant alignment of circle and square, each works in proportion to clue the viewer in on decades, and indeed centuries of craft, history, and culture.
Stack these colorful blocks on top of each other, or turn them upside down to reveal a perfect place for safekeeping. Each with its distinct wash, like watercolor spreading across a page, the palette ranges from a happy lavender to a deep cobalt, almost navy in tone yet with a brightness that infuses energy into the scheme. The blocks can be stacked any way you choose, offering an intentional way to interact with your space, and a neat way to keep organizing fun. Arrange and layer the blocks together to create a table, or go higher to form a totemic sculpture in any space, all while knowing your secrets are hidden away until you’re ready to bring them out.
BERTO reminds us that in a time of digitized immediacy, this solo venture by Sánchez represents so much more than furniture – it is an invitation, the allowance of slowness within a breakneck world, of meticulous creation with hands. Each Hidden Secrets piece requires dedication, an amount of time needed to infuse the vessel with humanity. The loving manner in which these pieces are produced is self-evident, created through the strength of collaboration between designer and artisan. A subversion of material and of the industry at large, BERTO imagines a world in which thoughtful items are created with love, to last.
Alberto Sánchez
To learn more about Hidden Secrets from BERTO, by Alberto Sánchez, visit instagram.com.
Photography by IVO Oliveira.
