Nora Boland

Autobiography

During the first COVID Lockdown, I joined Instagram and posted my woven work for the first time to my Instagram community.

Watching my followers grow and receiving many personal enquiries about my work gave me the confidence and drive to launch a website and sell my work, with my story behind it.

I have an immune system disease: Primary Biliary Cholangitis. My immune system attacks the bile ducts slowly but surely until the only treatment left is a liver transplant…which sadly is not a permanent cure but is a long term treatment. Over the last 25 years I have had 3 liver transplants. The first one gave me 21 wonderful years. This allowed me to live and enjoy a healthier life. I used this chance to go back to university to follow my dream to study Textiles Design.

3 years ago I had my second and third liver transplants and am currently fit and well. The gift of life I have received is very precious and it is thanks to science, my donor families, my own family, my strong will to live and of course, above all, the team at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh that I am here today.

For the first month, after I launch my website, I am intending to donate 40% of all proceeds to the Scottish Liver transplant unit and 20% thereafter.

Life is beautiful!

Biography

Growing up in Morocco, Nora Boland’s fascination with colourful textiles began at an early age. Nora recollects daily market trips, where she helped her mother to buy “flamboyant, silky fabrics for making kaftans”. Having begun her career in interior design, Nora decided to pursue her passion for textiles and returned to university to study Textiles Design, graduating from the University College For Creative Arts in Farnham in 2007. In 2006, Nora was awarded the Colour Prize by The Dyers’ Association, and in 2007, Nora’s work was shortlisted for a prestigious Textprint Award.

Nora’s strength is her innate sensitivity for colour and scale which allows her to juxtapose very unusual tones of colour to create subtle and sophisticated textiles. This she achieves by using a variety of yarns; worsted wool Merino, silk, cashmere and mercerized cotton, stainless steel silver and gold yarn. Also, she is not afraid to mix unconventional yarns together to tell her story.

“Nora currently produces hand-woven textiles, which she crafts into scarves and ties and occasionally wall hanging/rugs’

Her instagram page and now website provide an insight to the work she creates.