Anni Albers

“In my own work, and in the things that I admire, I always find that it has to have some kind of almost drawing power, something that gets you back to look at it again and again...” — Anni Albers

Anni Albers holding her weaving Under Way, New Haven, Connecticut, ca. 1965, Photograph by John T. Hill, Courtesy of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation

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Anni Albers was one of the most influential textile artists of the 20th century.

Anni Albers (1899-1994) began her career at the Bauhaus, where she took up weaving and transformed the medium. She studied, and taught, at the Bauhaus on different types of looms and would eventually direct the weaving workshop. Combining traditional craft with the principles of modern art, she elevated weaving from functional design to an expressive art form.

In 1933, following the closure of the Bauhaus, Anni and Josef Albers accepted a fortuitous offer to emigrate to the United States and teach at the newly established experimental Black Mountain College. Whilst there she continued to push boundaries, experimenting with materials and techniques. In 1949, she became the first woman and the first textile artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Though best known for her pioneering textile work, Anni later shifted focus to printmaking, exploring new methods and ideas, and expanding the possibilities of graphic art. Her innovative use of abstraction, pattern, and texture spanned both mediums, making her a key figure in 20th-century modernism.

Anni and Josef Albers were passionate teachers, believing that the goal of education is to encourage exploration and experimentation. Her legacy continues to influence contemporary design today, as her work bridges the gap between craft and fine art, and she remains a trailblazer who transformed the perception of textiles and printmaking alike.

Bauhaus
powerhouse

Learn about the artistic synergy between Josef and Anni Albers—two Bauhaus powerhouses and lifelong adventurers united by a shared devotion to abstraction. Read more.