Moira Nilsson
Duration
Moira Nilsson is a textile artist based in Sweden. She explores in detail fibres, structures, and surfaces to find both the tension and the ‘merge’ between different techniques and materials, such as wool, linen, weave and felt. She challenges traditional techniques and conventional ways of using materials to find their hidden possibilities. Nilsson often creates three dimensional shapes in textiles, something she experiments with by working with layers, stability, and density.
A recurring narrative in her work is human perception of nature and our surroundings. She pays attention to what hides in the periphery, a window reflection for example, searching to express and capture what is difficult to grasp: the transparent, moving, temporary or fragile.
In Spring 2023, Nilsson completed her Fine Art Bachelor’s degree in Textile-Body-Space at HDK-Valand- Academy of Art and Design. She has been part of several exhibitions and exchanges in Stockholm, Malmö, Tokyo and Tartu.
‘I am excited about my upcoming stay at Cove Park as part of the Bernat Klein Fellowship. Drawing inspiration from the archives of textile designer Bernat Klein and the stunning natural surroundings, I plan to use this time to develop new ideas and create new textile works. My focus will be on weaving and three-dimensional shapes, with particular attention to colour and its impact on my textile forms and structures.’
-
- Moira Nilsson (photography, Elise Westin)
-
- Moira Nilsson’s studio, March 2025
-
- Moira Nilsson’s studio, March 2025
-
- Moira Nilsson’s studio, March 2025
-
- Moira Nilsson’s studio, March 2025
-
- Moira Nilsson’s studio, March 2025
-
- Moira Nilsson’s studio, March 2025
-
- Moira Nilsson’s studio, March 2025
-
- Moira Nilsson, March 2025
This new programme was developed in collaboration with the Bernat Klein Foundation and Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design, Stockholm. The Bernat Klein Fellowships are generously supported by the William Grant Foundation and The Embassy of Sweden in London. In 2025, two Bernat Klein Fellowships have been awarded to established textile designers / textile artists based in Scotland and Sweden. The Fellowships are fully funded and include residencies, the opportunity for supported research including access to the national Bernat Klein archive collections in Scotland, and the support required for the development of new work.
Bernat Klein (1922-2014) was a Serbian-born textile designer, artist, and writer who emigrated to Scotland and established a successful textile design and manufacturing business in the Scottish borders (1951-1992). His 1960s couture fabrics were bought by the leading London and Paris fashion houses such as Chanel and Dior. Throughout his life Klein practised as an artist, which informed his ideas about colour that permeated all aspects of his work as a designer. Klein also wrote two books, Eye for Colour (1965) and Design Matters (1976). He created a set of six Personal Colour Guides (1965) based on his exploration of colour and its practical application for fashion, as well as Coordinated Colour Guides for Interiors (1971). He also realised two important modernist buildings in Scotland – his home and a studio – designed by the architect Peter Womersley.
