Peter Nilsson graduated from the University of Växjö, Växjö, Sweden with a Master of Arts in Industrial Design (Glass) in 2000. He was a long time staff member of the National Glass School, Orrefors, Sweden, where he was a senior teacher in Cold Techniques, Drawing Techniques and Art. Nilsson teaches engraving regularly at the Canberra Glassworks.
“To me glass is the perfect medium for pictures. It works as a window that can frame a clear view or play with your eyes, and if you make a sculpture, you can look at it, into it and through it. In my design I often get my inspiration from a shape or colour in nature.
I recently moved to Australia and the first artists I got in contact with were Aboriginal. It has been inspiring to get an insight into different thinking, and to also see some similarities between our cultures. Like Aboriginal Australians, Scandinavians also have a close relationship with nature. From my background in Sweden I always carry the thought in the back of my head that we must learn how to deal with nature in a respectful way, otherwise it will deal with us. We are not visitors in nature we are a part of it whether we like it or not.”
