“Life is an illusion if a person does not serve the truth.” – Hilma af Klint.
‘The Secret Paintings’ is an exhibition of beautiful and emotive abstract works by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944), which embrace the artist’s lifetime explorations of spiritualism, science and the natural world. This captivating survey of over 120 artworks comprised of drawings, paintings and detailed notebooks is imbued with revelations from the higher realms, which at the artist’s request weren’t to be shown to the public until 20 years after her passing. Her reason? Hilma af Klint didn’t think the world was ready to understand the spiritual and esoteric nature of her works and the knowledge they held that connected the material world to the greater powers of the universe.
While the Art Gallery of New South Wales is temporarily closed, we hope you enjoy reading about the artist’s astounding practice and plan a visit to the gallery in the near future.
Hilma’s career in art traversed six decades. She was one of the first women to attend the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm where she studied drawing, portraiture and landscape painting from 1882 to 1887. Upon graduating with honours, Hilma developed her practice in a studio at the Academy until 1908, when she left the art institution to care for her mother. From 1917, Hilma worked from her studio on the island of Munsö at Lake Mälaren, which was close to her family’s estate and in 1920 after her mother died, Hilma relocated to Helsingborg in the South of Sweden where she lived until 1935, before moving to Lund where she spent her final days. Hilma died in a traffic accident in 1944 at the age of 82.
Looking back. Before the turn of the 20th century, Hilma began exploring the unseen parallels of the universe seeking to understand how our physical presence was connected to higher levels of consciousness. Hilma sought the experience of séance in her 20s and became a member of the spiritualistic Edelweiss Society in her 30s. In 1896, Hilma left the Edelweiss circle taking with her four like-minded women artists – Mathilda Nilsson, Anna Cassel, Sigrid Hedman and Cornelia Cederberg – and formed the spiritualist group ‘The Five’. The women gathered in prayer, meditation and séance and studied the teachings of the New Testament together.
Inspired by their learned spiritual practices the spiritualist artists participated in automatic writing and mediumistic drawing – allowing their unconscious markings to be directed by their spirit guides. Hilma though, felt that she had a more profound calling. After a decade of esoteric training, Hilma received an important mission from the ‘High Ones’, as they were regarded by ‘The Five’.
Hilma was called upon to create The Paintings for the Temple (1906-1915), a lengthy mediumistic assignment, which resulted in 193 abstract works (52 of which are included in exhibition). Hilma brought the transcendental messages she received from her guides to realisation in the material world in dazzling spheres of colour, abstracted shapes floating in illuminated space, spiralling figurations, and symbolic gestures, drawing the viewer ever closer to the magnificent dimensions of a higher world. The longer you look at these artworks the deeper you will go. And the more you will see.
In 1920, Hilma showed some of the works to scientist and philosopher Rudolph Steiner, and was invited to join Steiner’s Anthroposophical Society. Hilma embraced the luminary’s philosophies and remained a member of the society for the rest of her life.
‘The Secret Paintings’ exhibition charts Hilma’s early works from her conventional studies to those she produced in the last two decades of her life. Delicate botanical watercolours highlight Hilma’s love of the natural world. There is a series of works made collectively with members of ‘The Five’, and the Primordial Chaos (1906-1907) series of 26 small paintings narrate the creation of the physical world. The ten largest (Oct-Dec 1907) are overwhelmingly beautiful compositions, which represent the four stages of human development – childhood, youth, adulthood and old age – here there is time to pause, to look back on our own beginning, connect with where we are now, and look forward to where we are going. There is no end, but a cycle. There is much more to see in this show, a second visit will be on the minds of many!
‘The Secret Paintings’ is a ticketed exhibition on at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until 19 September. Guided tours are held daily at 11am plus there’s a free children’s trail, or you can take it at your own pace. Auslan tours and audio-described programming is also available. Revelations is a two-day online symposium on July 21 and 22, 3-5pm, which will deliver the fascinating history of Hilma af Klint, a remarkable visionary who was ahead of her times in art and in her spiritual quest.
Ticketed. Bookings are essential. Don’t miss this amazing show!