Karina Nielsen Rios studied fine weaving and textile design at The Danish Design School, the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, Jette Nevers’ textile studio and at the Skals Håndarbejdsseminarium (VIA University College). In her work, she combines great aesthetic knowledge and craftsmanship with an innovative curiosity about high tech materials and the cutting edge of textile product development. Among other things, she has incorporated materials such as stainless steel, recycled plastic and paper into her weavings. Karina Nielsen Rios’ style is sleek and coolly Scandinavian, with great attention to detail and the technical aspects of weaving (both by hand and as an industrial process).

In 2007 she was awarded with a three-year working grant from The Danish Arts Agency. This led her into deeper research regarding the weaving technique gauze / leno / mojiri-ori in both Peru and Japan.

In 2008 the Karina Nielsen Rios Collection was presented by Kvadrat at the Orgatec Fair in Cologne, Germany. It is comprised of Checkpoint (upholstery), Zeze and Yoyo (curtains) and Toto (screen fabric). All the fabrics in the collection share a distinctive metallic look. Unusual for a Kvadrat designer, Karina Nielsen Rios has developed a collection where the variation lies not in color, but in the structure of the yarn and the construction of the weave. When developing the collection, Rios focused on the way the yarn twisted and the possibilities this created for the weaving process. Rios’ work has been represented in several exhibitions and galleries.

She lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.