Viola Gråsten
Finnish textile artist and designer (1910–1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Viola Hildegard Gråsten (born Forsberg; 18 November 1910 – 20 October 1994) was a Swedish textile designer.[1][2][3]
18 November 1910
- Finland
- Sweden
Viola Gråsten | |
|---|---|
Viola Gråsten (1950), photograph by Erik Holmén | |
| Born | Viola Hildegard Forsberg 18 November 1910 Keuruu, Finland |
| Died | 20 October 1994 (aged 83) |
| Other name | Viola Gråsten-Öhquist |
| Citizenship |
|
| Known for | Textile design |
| Spouse | Nils Robert Waldemar Öhquist |
| Awards | Prince Eugen Medal (1973) |
Gråsten was born in Keuruu in Häme, Finland and was brought up as a foster daughter by the Finnish Finance Minister, Ernst Gråsten.[4] She studied for four years at the Central School of Crafts in Helsinki until 1936, after which she worked as a designer at the Friends of Finnish Handicraft. In 1944, because of wartime yarn shortages in Finland, she moved to Sweden and designed shaggy rugs for Textiles & Interiors in Stockholm. A year later she took a post at the NK Textile Studio, where she began to design patterns for textiles and made a reputation for her colourful geometric designs. In 1950, she received Swedish citizenship.[5] In 1956 she became artistic director of fashion textiles at Mölnlycke Weavers, where she stayed until her retirement in 1973.[6][7]
Gråsten was awarded the Prince Eugen Medal for design in 1973.[8]
Gallery
A blanket from Tidstrand's Wool Factories designed by Viola Gråsten.
Viola Gråsten's pattern on a dress from around 1955.
