Hilma af Klint was a Swedish painter who created large-scale abstract works decades before Kandinsky and Mondrian, driven by a spiritual mission to represent invisible forces and the unity of all life.
Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) is one of the most significant rediscoveries in modern art history. Working in Stockholm in the early 20th century, she created large-scale abstract paintings that predate those of Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich -- artists long credited with pioneering abstraction.
Af Klint worked in secrecy, guided by spiritual beliefs and automatic writing sessions. Her monumental series The Paintings for the Temple consists of 193 works of extraordinary ambition, scale, and visual sophistication. She stipulated that they not be shown publicly until 20 years after her death.
Today, major retrospectives at the Guggenheim and other institutions have introduced her work to millions. Her paintings combine biomorphic forms, spirals, and bold color in compositions that feel simultaneously ancient and utterly contemporary.
Major Works
- The Paintings for the Temple series
- The Ten Largest
- The Swan
- Evolution