Bernat Klein’s last work (on his easel) in 2014, Gordon Burniston, 2016
The Bernat Klein Foundation was launched in 2018 to develop and manage the legacy of Bernat Klein, through education, research, publication and exhibition.
It has become a catalyst in creative thinking and new ideas, leading Scotland-wide events such as exhibitions, talks and workshops that inspire, inform, and connect contemporary practice in the visual arts, design and architecture. As a digital resource, the foundation’s website creates an innovative resource that promotes creative practice and research, focused on Klein’s legacy and forward-looking approach.
The foundation has been generously supported in its development by funding from the William Grant Foundation, Creative Scotland and Heritage Lottery Funding; and with specialist expertise and knowledge of its Board of Trustees and Patron. Partnership with National Museums Scotland, Live Borders, Heriot-Watt University, all of whom hold complementary Klein archive collections, also support the evolving development and sharing of Klein’s legacy.
About
Bernat Klein’s vision about design, colour and creative practice continues to inspire.
In a career spanning six decades, Klein found international success in the interrelated spheres of fine art, fashion, textile design, architecture, industrial design, and colour consultancy.
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Bernat Klein at High Sunderland, Moira Leggat, 1960s. Image courtesy of National Museums Scotland
What’s On
For 2023 the foundation has developed an exciting programme of events, which are taking place across Scotland and include exhibitions, workshops and talks.
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This short film shows highlights from our symposium held in December 2023: Illuminating Bernat Klein’s practice spanning design, art, architecture, and enduring multidisciplinary influence today.
Here we feature speakers from backgrounds in creative practice, academia, curatorial and architectural practice exploring Klein’s life and career, in addition to a discussion about the idea of legacies and archive collections informing contemporary practice and inspiring a range of audiences.
Workshops
A programme of workshops has been developed for the foundation by creative practitioners in woven, printed and knitted textiles.
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Explore
The foundation has created an innovative portfolio of projects and new digital content.
This includes short films, photography, journal articles, and interviews, all of which can be explored on the website that provides open access for all. The foundation continually explores new ways of presenting original Bernat Klein work, alongside showcasing contemporary ideas inspired by his legacy in design, visual arts and architecture.
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‘Lichen’ 3’, Bernat Klein, 1966; oil on canvas, Image courtesy of National Museums Scotland
Bernat Klein Book
A 224-page fully illustrated book celebrating the life and work of Bernat Klein (1922–2014), published by the Bernat Klein Foundation to accompany the centenary exhibition Bernat Klein: Design in Colour at the National Museums Scotland.
This book sets out to reach audiences with a broad interest in postwar design as well as those with an academic or specialist practitioner’s eye. The international range of authors who have been invited to contribute embraces curators, archivists, architects, photographers, artists and collectors. Together they demonstrate their engagement with Bernat Klein’s design concepts and methods of working, as well as his many collaborations as a textile designer and manufacturer.
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Journal
The journal explores insights to Bernat Klein’s work and life in the Scottish Borders and the legacy he has created.
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