Märta Måås-Fjetterström was a pioneering Swedish textile artist whose work continues to inspire and influence the world of design and craftsmanship.
Born in the small town of Kimstad, Sweden, she developed an early interest in the traditional crafts of her homeland. This passion for weaving and textile design would ultimately transform her into one of the most celebrated figures in Swedish textile art.
Märta Måås-Fjetterström’s work was widely exhibited, including the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Paris in 1925 and at the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 1929 and her work soon became highly desirable commodities.
After studying at the School of Industrial Art in Stockholm, Måås-Fjetterström began her career teaching textile art. However, it wasn’t long before her creative ambitions led her beyond the classroom. In 1919, she founded her own weaving workshop in Båstad, on Sweden’s southern coast. This workshop became a hub of innovation, where traditional Swedish weaving techniques met modern artistic expression. Drawing inspiration from Swedish folklore, nature, and the Nordic landscape, she created carpets and tapestries that were both deeply rooted in heritage and strikingly contemporary.
Her designs were characterised by bold geometric patterns, earthy colour palettes, and intricate craftsmanship. Her art works exemplify her ability to blend natural motifs with abstract forms, creating pieces that were as much art as they were functional textiles. Måås-Fjetterström’s ability to bridge the gap between traditional folk art and modernist aesthetics brought her international acclaim. Her work was exhibited throughout Europe and found its way into prestigious spaces, including the Swedish Royal Palace.
The modernist architects and designers Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Ray Eames all espoused and endorsed Scandinavian textile design of this period, perceiving its aesthetic quality in complimenting metalwork and hard wood favoured in their modern designs, and this all helped in making Måås-Fjetterström’s studio an important centre for rug and carpet production.
With over 700 designs, her work was known for its exceptional quality, craftsmanship, attractive textural characteristics and technical superiority whether flat-weave, knotted pile works or where both techniques were combined. After her death in 1941, her legacy was continued by Barbro Nilsson, who took up the mantle as the workshop’s director, and was joined by the designer Marienne Richter.
The workshop creates Märta’s designs and new works in beautifully subtle patterns and colours to this day, and early examples are now highly prized for their virtuosity which influenced and set a standard for Nordic textile design throughout the 20th Century.