Hilma af Klint

Hilma af Klint

Much of the artwork on this site is the work of one incredible woman - Hilma af Klint.

She was a medium, lesbian, botanist, mystic and decades ahead of her time.

Born in 1862 she basically invented abstract art on the down low years before any of the men who are famous for it.

In 1896 she founded a spiritual group of women artists called The Five, and held weekly seances with them for a decade. During the seances Hilma was contacted by a spirit named Amaliel who told her to paint 'on an astral plane'. Between 1906-1915 she painted an astounding 193 pictures which are known as the 'Paintings for the Temple' - several of which are on this site. Hilma channelled these paintings and credits them as being divinely inspired and directed.

She knew the world was not yet ready to recieve her vision and when she died in 1944, at the age of 81, her will stated her work should be kept secret until 20 years after her death. It was made public in 1964, just in time for the summer of love and the rise of the counter culture. She was intensely private and she received no recognition or money from her abstract art while she was alive.

I have respectfully and lovingly used her artwork on my site 1) because it's beautiful and I adore it and 2) because it reminds us how powerful, connected, creative and wild women have always been. Hilma’s work is an invitation for women everywhere to boldly embrace our connection to the divine.

Hilma's af Klint’s artwork was covered by Swedish copyright law until 2014 (life of painter + 70 years) and is now in the public domain.