Barbro Nilsson

Barbro Nilsson (1899-1983)
In 1889, the Swedish textile designer Barbro Nilsson was born in Malmö, in the Southwest of Sweden. She was educated at Johanna Brunssons vävskola and Tekniska skolan in Stockholm (now Kunstfackskolan). She became a capable, inspiring and demanding teacher in her textile subjects.

Married to the sculptor Robert K Nilsson, she collaborated with him as well as painters, like Sven X:et Erixson, who produced drawings that she converted into tapestries. Barbro Nilsson was a master in combining color and form. Her creativity with textile colors makes her unique among Scandinavian textile artists from this century. She also mastered a number of different weaving techniques and worked as the right hand designer to Märta Måås-Fjetterström.

In 1942, after the death of Märta Måås-Fjetterström, she took over the leadership of the atelier in Bastad where she created carpet patterns such as the tapestry technique, knotted “flossa” in relief, flatweave and knotted high pile. She died in 1983 but the interest in her carpets is still increasing.

Read more: our blog "BARBRO NILSSON & MIDCENTURY SWEDISH TEXTILES"