Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) was a Swedish artist and a pioneer of abstract art, creating visionary paintings even before figures like Kandinsky and Mondrian. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, she began her career with conventional landscapes and portraits but soon turned to a more spiritual and experimental approach. Inspired by mysticism and esoteric societies such as Theosophy, Hilma believed that her art channeled messages from higher planes.
Her work is characterized by geometric shapes, vibrant colors, and enigmatic symbols, reflecting an attempt to represent the invisible and the transcendental. Among her most well-known works is the series The Paintings for the Temple, a monumental set started in 1906 that anticipated abstract art by nearly a decade. Her compositions combine scientific and spiritual elements, exploring the relationship between nature, the cosmos, and consciousness.
Despite her innovation, Hilma af Klint remained largely unknown for many years, as she believed the world was not yet ready for her art. Her legacy began to be widely recognized only in the 21st century, with international exhibitions cementing her status as one of the forerunners of abstraction. Today, her work inspires artists and scholars who see in it a unique connection between art, spirituality, and the avant-garde.
Hilma af Klint by Bel Niemeyer, our branded content:
I find Hilma af Klint’s work incredibly inspiring and powerful. She explores the subconscious and the deep essence of metaphysics through her abstract works. Her art is so full of symbolism and allusion that we sometimes get lost trying to understand everything at once and imagining new worlds. She dedicated herself to receiving from her spiritual guides what she believed to be critically important information about how the universe was formed and how it evolved. She considered her paintings as teachings from the astral planes about the subtle forces from which, though invisible, everything emerges. I find her extremely sensitive and connected to the spiritual, conveying in her works a delicacy and mystery that I find truly beautiful.
The Swedish artist’s work, with all its forms and abstractions, was one of the inspirations for our Summer 2018 Runway Show.
