A Profile of two Artists

This exhibition consists of several works of art by Karin and Åke Hellman that have never been shown before, neither at exhibitions nor in their joint studio in Porvoo. In connection with the sale of the family’s studio house, we began an extensive mapping of our parents’ artistic careers. During this process, we found, among other things, rolled-up oil painting canvases that had never been framed and therefore never shown at exhibitions. We had many positive surprises and were amazed at our parents’ versatility.

Through this exhibition, we want to showcase artwork from the family’s private collections as well as works that we discovered in forgotten storage spaces.

• Karl Johan and Åsa Hellman

Karin Hellman (1915-2004) was active as an artist roughly from the mid-1950s for about 30 years. Her oil paintings often make use of warm colour combinations such as terracotta, red, black, and yellow ochre, colours that one associates more with South American art than Finnish traditions. Her early paintings often have motifs from the family’s home environment, stylized in a personal and humorous way.

In the early 1960s, Karin Hellman increasingly switched to textile collages and appliqués, and around the same time, she had her breakthrough as an artist. She was inspired by mythology, archaeological finds, her museum visits, and found objects and materials. She had a sure sense of composition and found working in large formats to be suitable for her temperament. Several of her monumental works were purchased to decorate public environments. She also represented Finland at exhibitions abroad, including exhibitions in Brazil, France, Italy, Norway, and Sweden.

Due to illness, Karin Hellman’s artistic career was significantly shorter than her husband’s, Åke Hellman. However, today’s audiences have once again begun to discover her artistry. Her artistry is usually described as experimental and genre-bending, and she is now considered a pioneer in Finnish material-based art.

In April 2025, a major exhibition of Karin Hellman’s art will open at the EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art, and in conjunction with the exhibitions, the museum will also publish a book about her.

Åke Hellman (1915–2017) is known for his versatile oil painting, which includes still lifes, figure compositions, landscapes, and portraits. In addition to his work as a freelance artist, Åke Hellman taught for long periods, including his tenure as head of the University of Helsinki’s drawing rooms from 1964 to 1978.

During longs periods of their lives, Åke and his wife Karin spent their summers in Provence. The nature, colours, and light of the Mediterranean influenced his painting in many ways. The darker colour palette of his youth became lighter and clearer over the years. He painted predominantly in a realistic style, but the works often exhibit surprising, surreal elements. Åke Hellman’s paintings are often associated with Classicism and Tradition, and the predominant characteristic of his work is the pursuit of harmony. He himself used to cite the Renaissance and Impressionism as important art-historical sources of inspiration.

The exhibition shows that Åke Hellman’s creativity was also expressed through play and experimentation with different art styles. For example, during the 1960s, he went through a period when he painted entirely abstract paintings. As a common thread throughout Åke Hellman’s artistry, one finds his persistent exploration of the countless expressive possibilities that oil painting as an art form offers.