Karoliina Hellberg
The ingredients of Karoliina Hellberg’s paintings and works on paper are real and imaginary places, various visual sources and autobiographical elements. Richly detailed interior scenes are among the main themes of her works. The rooms appearing in them function as symbolic and psychological places whose enigmatic atmosphere and narrative tensions lead viewers to the realms of imagination and memories. Despite their size, Hellberg’s small works on paper can be just as intensive as her large paintings. The boundaries of time and place are blurred in her works, and things that are absent gain a strong presence.
Hellberg graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2015. She has held solo exhibitions at Ásmundarsalur in Reykjavik (2020), Galleri Kant in Copenhagen (2020), the Didrichsen Art Museum in Helsinki (2019), the Finnish Institute in St Petersburg (2017), HAM Gallery in Helsinki (2016) and Galerie Anhava in Helsinki (2016, 2019). In recent years, her works have also been on show at, among other venues, the Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki (2020), the CHART Art Fair in Copenhagen (2018), the Kuopio Art Museum in Finland (2018), the Finnish Institute in Stockholm (2017) and Galleri Elverket of the Pro Artibus Foundation in Tammisaari (2016–2017). In 2018, Karoliina Hellberg received the Didrichsen Art Museum’s Pro Arte award. Works by her have been acquired for the collections of the Saastamoinen Foundation, the Päivi and Paavo Lipponen Foundation and HAM Helsinki Art Museum, among others, in addition to private collections in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the United States, France, Spain and South Africa.
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Bathing TerraceKaroliina Hellberg, Bathing Terrace, oil on canvas, 200 cm x 248 cm ,2022. Photo: Kerry Harm Nielsen.
SnakevaseKaroliina Hellberg, Snakevase, oil on canvas, 38 cm x 40 cm ,2021. Photo: Kerry Harm Nielsen.
Orange RoomKaroliina Hellberg, Orange Room, oil, inks and acrylic on canvas, 180 cm x 140 cm ,2018. Photo: Jussi Tiainen.
Hydrangeas and mist (low-pressure)Karoliina Hellberg, Hydrangeas and mist (low-pressure), watercolor and ink on paper, 200 cm x 150 cm ,2021. Photo: Jussi Tiainen.
It was night time when you leftKaroliina Hellberg, It was night time when you left, oil on canvas , 150 cm x 150 cm ,2022. Photo: Kerry Harm Nielsen.
Didn’t know there were so my (in the room)Karoliina Hellberg, Didn’t know there were so my (in the room), oil, ink and acrylic on canvas, 100 cm x 120 cm ,2022. Photo: Kerry Harm Nielsen.
Lilacs, anemones and wind: LilacsKaroliina Hellberg, Lilacs, anemones and wind: Lilacs, oil, ink and acrylic on canvas, 220 cm x 125 cm ,2022. Photo: Jussi Tiainen.
Lilacs, anemones and wind: LilacsKaroliina Hellberg, Lilacs, anemones and wind: Lilacs, oil, ink and acrylic on canvas, 220 cm x 125 cm ,2022. Photo: Jussi Tiainen.
AnemonesKaroliina Hellberg, Anemones, oil on canvas, 28 cm x 25 cm ,2022. Photo: Kerry Harm Nielsen.
Waiting (Estrid)Karoliina Hellberg, Waiting (Estrid), oil on canvas, 100 cm x 100 cm ,2022. Photo: Kerry Harm Nielsen.
Curriculum Vitae
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7.6.-3.8.2024
Karoliina Hellberg – Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery
Elizabeth Xi Bauer is delighted to present Karoliina Hellberg’s first UK solo exhibition. The Gallery will exhibit new works by the artist and a wallpaper print designed and executed by Hellberg for this upcoming solo show. More information can be found at the bottom of this email.
Karoliina Hellberg lives and works in Helsinki and is known for her large, vibrant oil, acrylic, and ink canvases. Her work immerses the viewer in a world of repeated imagery, signs, and symbols, a labyrinth of spaces and places, combining layers, forms, and elements. The artist blends dream-like visions and narratives that merge the every day with the ethereal. This is explored with pictorial tropes such as indoor scenes, plants, flowers, clouds, animals, and textiles, which are remembered, imagined, or inspired by researched source material.
This upcoming exhibition of new works by Karoliina Hellberg at Elizabeth Xi Bauer will include large canvases, smaller paintings, framed watercolours, and prints in a wallpaper format, the latter of which the artist has received a grant to create from Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike). These wallpaper prints will serve as an accent feature, exploring the motifs embedded within Hellberg’s works. The familiarity of wallpaper further layers and extends Hellberg’s depiction of domestic settings. This new wallpaper is similar to a project by Hellberg, commissioned by the Didrichsen Museum, upon her receiving the Pro Arte prize in 2018. This 2019 solo exhibition at the Didrichsen Museum was the first time Hellberg created and executed her wallpaper prints.
This solo exhibition of new works by Karoliina Hellberg, which will run from 7th June – 3rd August 2024 at Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery, open Wednesday through to Saturday, 12 – 6 pm or by appointment. A Private View will be held on 6th June 2024, 6 – 8 pm, in the artist’s presence. The artist will be available for interviews. It would be my pleasure to welcome you, your colleagues, and any desired guests.