Life in color and form

Robert Nilsson, sculptor, and Barbro Nilsson, textile artist and artistic director of AB Märta Måås-Fjetterström’s weaving studio in Båstad, were a creative couple who left a profound mark on twentieth-century Swedish sculpture and textile art. For more than forty years, their artistic world of sketches, weaving samples, watercolors, models, photographs, letters, and diaries has been largely preserved. This unique artistic legacy is now on display at Millesgården Museum in a major exhibition that builds on the acclaimed presentation shown at the Blå Hallen art and cultural center in Höganäs during the summer of 2024. Thanks to the scholarships Robert received, the Nilssons were able to spend several years in Rome, an experience that profoundly shaped their lives and created a visual reservoir from which they would draw inspiration for the rest of their careers. Upon returning to Sweden, they commissioned architect Sven Ivar Lind to design a home and studio outside Höganäs – a place where they could recharge, find inspiration, and pursue their work. A substantial portion of the couple’s artistic output has been preserved, including sketches and designs for carpets, weaving samples, watercolors, sculptures, photographs, letters, and diaries. Material first presented at Blå Hallen in 2024 forms the foundation of the exhibition at Millesgården, offering a unique insight into two artistic practices defined by uncompromising quality, collaboration, and creative joy—a shared life devoted to color and form. At Millesgården, the couple’s work is placed in a new context where sculpture, fine art, craft, and the artist’s home intersect. The exhibition features works from Robert and Barbro Nilsson’s oeuvre—including textiles, sculpture, and painting – alongside sketches, models, and archival material. Its presentation at Millesgården also creates a special connection to Barbro Nilsson’s childhood on Lidingö, Robert Nilsson’s years as a student of Carl Milles, and the site’s own history as an artists’ home and creative environment. Visitors are offered not only a visual experience but also a rare opportunity to gain insight into Robert and Barbro Nilsson’s creative world and working processes. The exhibition invites audiences into an environment where art and craftsmanship existed side by side and where creativity permeated everyday life. Monumental textiles, sketches, designs, and weaving samples fill the gallery from floor to ceiling, alongside what may be Sweden’s largest loom – a specially built piece measuring an impressive seven meters in length. With Life in color and form, we wish to continue Millesgården’s work of highlighting significant artistic and design partnerships and exploring how creativity is shaped through close relationships. In the work of Robert and Barbro Nilsson, as in that of Carl and Olga Milles, the boundaries between art, craft, and everyday life dissolve. Their home and working environment become part of the artwork itself – a place where ideas, materials, and creative processes constantly coexist. (Sara Källström, Museum Director of Millesgården Museum)