Ingegerd Silow and her Blend of Swedish Traditions and a Modern Approach to Rugs
March 27, 2024
Ulla Kockum Øverengen and her Contributions to Swedish Embroidery Designs
March 28, 2024Petra Börner, the Sweden-born, London-based illustrator and artist renowned for her vibrant ink and watercolor depictions of florals, foliage, and Grecian-inspired figures, finds both inspiration and disquiet in nature. Despite her love for London, where she has resided for 26 years, Börner, hailing from the Swedish countryside, holds values distinct from the city. She expresses a sense of despair towards the modern disconnection from the outdoors, a sentiment exacerbated by urban living. This disconnection fuels the prominence of flora and fauna in Börner’s artistic creations. Her works, spanning paper cut-outs, paintings, collages, ceramics, and prints, feature dense, meandering, maze-like patterns and fields of color that evoke a sense of being lost—a visual exploration of her desire to reconnect with nature.
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
Börner’s mixed-media approach has roots in her childhood spent in a small town in southern Sweden. Her innate sense of color, reflected in her palette of fresh greens and blues with vibrant yet earthy hues, draws inspiration from her Swedish heritage. Börner’s approach to color, she explains, is intuitive, shaped by her experiences rather than formal study.
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
For inspiration, Petra Börner frequents renowned museums like the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Here, she meticulously studies and draws sculptures, a significant influence apparent in the classical figures and profiles evident in both her drawings and ceramics. Börner is also deeply influenced by materials, a practice that involves collecting and rediscovering old pieces of paper, fabric scraps, found objects, and books salvaged from the streets or vintage sales. While Börner has been a full-time illustrator since 2005, contributing to publications like Vogue and the New York Times, she has recently ventured into the realm of fine art. Amidst COVID closures in the previous year, she participated in her first major exhibition at The Museum of Drawings in Laholm, Sweden. In the fall, she showcased her ceramics in a solo exhibition in London. Additionally, Börner is working on a forthcoming small book. Reflecting on her displacement from nature due to living abroad, she finds fulfillment in creating art. Her lush and intricate work, featuring vines, leaves, and flowers, serves as a grounding force, providing her with new roots amid the challenges of living apart from the natural environment.
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
https://www.petraborner.com/studio
“My artistic process is rooted in manual work, although the ultimate artwork is often digitized. The essence of my interpretation of a theme or subject is shaped through repetition within a specific composition or pattern. Typically, the process commences with a series of sketches derived from objects, collages of images, or photographs. I utilize marker pens, collage techniques, pencils, or brush and ink during the initial sketching phase. Subsequently, I may refine the artwork through a more structured collage cut in paper, a painting, a drawing, or at times, transform it into an embroidered piece. This multi-step approach allows me to explore the nuances of my chosen themes and subjects, emphasizing the importance of repetition in defining the overall artistic expression.” – Petra Börner
Rug & Kilim finds pride in its Abstract rugs which are built on the surmise of repetition within a specific piece featuring a vibrant color palette, inspirations from classical and floral impressionist patterns, refined textures and durable construction. The collection is an encyclopedia of patterns, with many never-before-seen patterns in a bold new style.
View some of our abstract impressionist masterpieces –
