Predominantly experimental, Nielsen’s artworks are made in defiance of what is perceived as perfect. Weighty yet spontaneous, his creations carry marks, almost scars, that are inflicted during their making. What may appear rough and unfinished remain as part of the final piece. The intention is to not abuse his glass but to take it to its limits, questioning the role of the artist and how these pieces sit within the world of art and craft.

Neilsen has also incorporated live music and acrobatics whilst sculpting his glass to explore new ideas and ways of bringing his glass ideas to fruition. Inspiration comes from an array of popular cultures: music, videos, performance and graffiti, the latter literally informing his glass with the use of car paint. The kinetic energy that is used to control and form the hot glass is recaptured by the artist in the fleeting moment of spraying the surface, an act of essentially reclaiming the glass after it has cooled and changed colour of its own accord. The paint not only unifies and homogenises the exterior but also acts to smooth out and soften the torn and broken edges, these may become less imperfect but they are still very much moments of the haphazard.

Neilsen first studied glass at the Orrefors Glass School in Sweden and then went on to the Pilchuch Glass School in Washington and the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. He has been the Artist-in-Residence at the Corning Museum of Glass, in the USA, with the museum also acquiring his work for their permanent collections. In 2022, Neilsen was a finalist for the prestigious Loewe Foundation craft prize.

Public & Private Collections

Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden | Corning Museum of Glass, NY, USA | Borås Museum, Sweden | Ariana Museum, Geneva, Switzerland | Joan Stonechiper Collection, USA | Pinskey’s Collection, San Francisco, USA | Tore G Wäenstams Stiftelse, Borås, Sweden | Private collections in Sweden, Finland and USA

Artist portrait by Daniel Larsson.