This article was written by Birgitta Cavalli-Nielsen and published in Skånska Dagbladet. Translated by Fern Scott, 2024.
When Planck's and Heisenberg's atomic theories formed the backdrop for philosophical debates on the topics of statics and dynamics in Lund in the 1930s, Wiwen Nilsson was one of the most engaged and vocal participants in the discussion. And his belief in the validity of his arguments have not wavered over time, but have rather been reinforced by his artistic experiences over past years.
“People sometimes perceive me as a mystic, and I can probably agree that I am, if that means that one does not believe in the rational,” reflects Wiwen Nilsson.
The dimensions are determined by the emotion
“It is the emotional relative proportions that provides the artistic value. In a dynamic figure, the length, the width, and the depth vary, and so it must be. The dimensions of the static figure are the same, but such figures do not exist in reality. Trying to actualise a static figure is attempting the impossible.
“My aspiration has always been to intensify the dynamic proportions between the three dimensions of the room. The dimensions are determined by emotion.” Icon painting, a passion of Wiwen Nilsson, has strengthened his conception of this artistic requirement: “The content and colour of icon paintings are predetermined by the master and his workshop. What then remains for the artistic personality? The proportion. And that is sufficient. This is also what I have restricted myself to. This is my style, simply put.”
Is the choice of material insignificant?
Why has silver become my primary means of expression? Well, it was probably because my father was a silversmith; initially I wanted to be an architect. Nonetheless, I do not regret my choice. The material one works with does not hold much significance; you can shape any material to suit your vision.” However, when observing Wiwen Nilsson's jewellery in whitish silver and shimmering gold with their beautiful matte polished surfaces, one can not help but notice that it is not just his unique style, but of equal importance is the exquisite treatment of the materials that sets his work apart.
“My silver is simply purer than what is typically used in this country, and the reason is primarily that England and the USA, where I export a lot of my work, only allow so-called sterling silver to be imported, which consists of 930 parts per thousand of pure silver. Additionally, my silver is never patinated - that is something that time will take care of.”
“When it comes to gold, it is generally alloyed with 2/3 copper and 1/3 silver. As for myself, I do the exact opposite; sometimes I even alloy solely with silver, which gives the gold a yellow-green hue. The advantage of that alloy is that it does not damage the stones. "The red gold" we find depicted in literature, is a fabrication. It has never existed; ancient gold objects that were found in antiquity were only alloyed with silver. Even the gold found in nature always contains a trace of silver.”
He adores his stones
When the conversation shifts to gemstones, Wiwen's voice is filled with warmth. He reveres all that is beautiful, and an exquisite stone provides him with a profound sense of aesthetic pleasure. He holds out a ring adorned with a gray-green-yellow moonstone, the size of a hazelnut, and allows the daylight to dance upon its cool enigmatic haze. "Is it not like witnessing the entire ocean's swirling green masses of water within it?" he remarks. "When I first acquired this moonstone, I could not bring myself to mount it, but instead carried it loose in my pocket for a couple of weeks. Sometimes, while out for a stroll, I would suddenly pause in the middle of the street, take it out from my pocket, and stand there motionless, gazing upon its beauty." It must "be right" Whenever Wiwen Nilsson can tear himself away from his work in Lund, he and his wife Märta head south, to the 50,000-year-old caves in the Pyrenees, to Altamira, the great Spanish cave area, or to Lascaux in Dordogne. Trips that, due to the limited time available to him, usually have been meticulously prepared and planned. They have managed to cover 70 percent of Italy's mosaics during their travels. But Wiwen's greatest dream to have the chance to visit the Greek island of Chios, where an old orthodox church houses one of the world's most beautiful mosaic collections, has not yet come true. The fact that this monastery may only be visited by men may have played a role here – as it would mean that his dear wife would have to remain at home.
"Do I find any inspiration from my travels? Not directly. But I somehow live in a constant state of artistic pregnancy, which sometimes gives birth to a sense of heightened intensity, a feeling of it being correct. And that feeling often comes from the artistic experiences I gain through my travels. I experience the same kind of feeling in the crypt of Lund Cathedral. It is such a violently dynamic space, but balanced by proportions, providing the observer with a sense of dynamic calm. There the dimensions match; which makes the room come alive and provides balance. And the same can be found in Byzantine and early Romanesque art. About 25 years ago, a professor named Wanscher began a thesis by stating: ‘Since man is symmetrical, art must be symmetrical.’ Then I had a good laugh. Symmetry is a static concept, it has nothing to do with art."
Tired of being plagiarised
He embodies the same dynamics as his artistic ideals; a devotee of life and of beauty, and the art that fills his home only further accentuates his spiritual sanctuary: GAN, Pär Siegård, Martin Emond in harmonious coexistence with Alice Wedel's batik as well as sculptures and reliefs that he made himself. There is probably no Swedish silversmith who has had such an immense impact in Sweden as Wiwen Nilsson and who has reached such a large international audience. But even success has its downside, and for Wiwen, it is called plagiarism. For decades, he has had to endure seeing more or less failed copies of his jewellery and silverware come to light. Last summer, despite years of patience, he had had enough and for the first time in his life he applied for two patents.
“It was expensive, says Wiwen Nilsson, but one must be allowed to have something for oneself.”
