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Designer Mathilda Boalawong Nilsson brings her unmistakable design language to Wall of Art through her latest series of artwork. Her style is fluid yet deliberate, giving natural forms their own kind of systematic structure. In our conversation at the Wall of Art apartment, Mathilda reflects on what sparks her creativity, how she approaches design, and the ways she imagines her work taking shape in people’s homes.
Photos by Björn Eklund
How would you describe your artwork in one word?
Organic. It feels recurring in everything I do.
Your artwork seems to combine structure and playfulness, creating patterns that are fluid and nature-like. How much of your process is planned and how much do you let things unfold as they go?
Generally I need my space to be in order to allow my mind to be completely free and creative. My style is quite structured but within that style the artwork is completely based on intuition. When I put pen to paper I have no idea exactly what the result will be—I let my brain follow my hand. I have to let myself be free in that phase for anything to come out at all.
What tends to spark the idea for a new piece—a color, a feeling, previous sketches?
Previous sketches! I discover a seed of something that could work which makes me want to work on it. When I start drawing it really is like a domino effect.
In what ways does your day job influence or contrast with your artistic process?
My job as a graphic designer contrasts the artistic in many ways. When I'm at work, I always work based on a client's request. In my artistic work, I make all the decisions myself, which is both wonderful and sometimes difficult.
What’s always in your studio/workspace besides the obvious tools?
A half-finished creative project. Right now I'm crocheting a bag that I've just picked up again after having it on hiatus for a year and a half.
How do you imagine your pieces fitting into the space they’re displayed in?
Either I imagine them in a very large format in a stylish, minimalist home where you let the work be the focal point. Or as part of a large and eclectic gallery wall!