Elfrida Nilsdotter Ahlby
2018
Elfrida Nilsdotter Ahlby is a textile artist, maker, and workshop instructor, with a Bachelor in Fine Arts from The Department of Crafts and Design at The University of Gothenburg. She was born and raised on Gotland and moved back to the island in 2010 after several years on the mainland and many creative education programs. Now, she works on her art in her own studio and teaches courses and workshops in a wide variety of textile techniques and painting.
"In my artistic practice, I draw inspiration from my love of color, textile materials, and the slow, expressive nature of threads. The tactile nature of textiles plays a major role in my process, and the slow pace of embroidery allows ample room for reflection and a organic creative process. In recent years, I’ve been working with textile collages and plant-based dyeing. I also enjoy combining textile techniques with painting."
"It was such a wonderful opportunity for me. It was the first time since graduating that I’d had uninterrupted time to devote to my art. I still draw inspiration from my time at Künstler*innenhaus Dortmund in my creative work."
"It was during that period that I began to delve even deeper into textile collage and plant-based dyeing. I also drew a great deal of energy and inspiration from my visits to art museums in the region, as well as from the atmosphere in Dortmund and the towns I managed to visit during my stay."
"I have warmly recommended the exchange programme to other creative artists on the island and would definitely consider doing it again. And I carry a lasting memory of my stay on the fingers of my right hand in the form of my tattoo of a mountain range."
The Stretch for the Sublime
textile collage, silk on old cotton fabric with embroidered words
64 x 109 cm
2019
"I started this piece when I came home from my stay in Dortmund. It was exhibited at a pop-up gallery organised by the Gotland Art Museum December 2019."
Summer Heat
mixed media, acrylic on cotton, embroidery on antique linen
56 x 64 cm
2020
one of a series of five named 'Fear and Security', exhibited in the group exhibition ‘Mixed Minds’, organised by Region Gotland
VAD GER DU/ What do you offer
textile collage, silk on old cotton fabric from the Swedish Army
77 x 84 cm
2026
This piece is part of a project Elfrida Nilsdotter Ahlby is currently working on.
