Nygårds Maria Bengtsson

Lines and Landscapes

Swedish-born artist Nygårds Maria Bengtsson has been based in Copenhagen for over two decades, working from her studio where she explores the expressive potential of drawing, paper cuts and textiles. Growing up in Dalarna – a region known for its rivers, forests and long winters – she developed an early connection to nature and a love of simple, hands-on creativity. “Nature is an infinite source of inspiration,” she says, “As well as the rhythms of daily life and the people within it.”

At the core of Nygårds Maria’s practice is drawing. She describes her relationship to pen and paper as direct and intuitive: “You can’t hide anything – you see right away if it works.” Her process favours precision and imperfection in equal measure, combining fine lines with bold forms to capture a sense of balance and movement.

Cut, Colour, Compose

Colour is often the starting point for Nygårds Maria’s compositions. She hand-paints paper in carefully mixed tones, cutting and layering shapes until each piece finds its rhythm. The result is graphic yet textured – a play between control and spontaneity. Nygårds Maria also designs textile prints and patterns, extending her language of colour and form into new materials.

When not in the studio, she finds energy in simple, tactile routines: gardening, chopping wood or walking outdoors. These rhythms of everyday life feed back into her creative world, where natural forms and handmade details shape her distinctive visual universe.