However, during the first quarter of 1917, he was able to continue his studies abroad, this time at Det Tekniske Selskabs Skole (The Technical Society's School) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In May 1924, Wiwen Nilsson enrolled at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, France, where he explored life drawing and anatomy.

Wiwen Nilsson also devoted considerable time to self-motivated study at museums and libraries, including Le Louvre and Musée de Cluny.

In Paris, he befriended a group of fellow Swedish artists including Arvid Källström, Erik Olson and Gösta Adrian-Nilsson, known as GAN.

Some artists also lived in the building where the school was located, including Isaac Grünewald, Arvid Källström, GAN, and for a period of time, Wiwen Nilsson himself.

One critic, describing Wiwen Nilsson’s works, wrote: “as thin and fragile as glass, a typical case of poor sense of materials”.

Gregor Paulsson, the president of the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design and a respected art historian, curated the fair, and would become an important figure for Wiwen Nilsson and his recognition in Sweden as well as internationally.

The 1950s, began auspiciously for Wiwen Nilsson, receiving the Medaglia d’Oro (The Gold Medal) at the IX Triennale di Milano, Milan, Italy in 1951.

In his religious works, Wiwen Nilsson showcased his ability to combine academic rigour and respect for tradition with his artistic vision and commitment to functionality.

During Wiwen Nilsson’s later years, two important retrospective exhibitions were organised to honour his influential career: one at Kulturen in Lund in 1967 around the time of his seventieth birthday; the other at Malmö Museum in 1973.

Wiwen Nilsson’s designs are prodigious in their simplicity: he advocated for silver and gold objects to retain their intrinsic qualities rather than being excessively adorned, even when the prevailing trend was to embellish.

“It is just a matter of finding the right means of expression.” While Wiwen Nilsson’s most notable achievement to many is the creation of the Colombian mahogany altar cross with gilded silver reliefs in the Lund Cathedral in Sweden, he is widely known for his silverware and jewellery.