We welcome you to our forthcoming solo exhibition, “Fireflies”, with the Finnish artist Karoliina Hellberg.
Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve, at times, a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.
Fireflies in the Garden by Robert Frost (American Poet 1874 - 1963)
The poem Fireflies in the Garden is an allegory of several topics, including the admiration of effort, the drawbacks of imitation, and the appreciation of differences. The poem's setting is a garden during dusk and when the twilight begins to let things shine in their light.
Karoliina Hellberg´s new paintings on canvas and paper circulate a night theme. The exhibition “Fireflies” evokes a childhood memory of being amazed and captivated by the mysterious, small light-emitting beetles. As so often in earlier works, Hellberg also draws inspiration from places and their narratives connected to architecture, literature, and art history. The motifs are tangible, dualistic, and rich in contrasts and symbols.
Whatever source Karoliina Hellberg draws her inspiration from, she adds enigmatic layers of secret logic and poetry. Memories and remembrance, desired or unwanted, conscious or unconscious, often play a role in her works. Something seemingly lost rises to the surface—sometimes a child's vision, like the fireflies in the night. Hellberg's paintings have titles. But here, too, there is only sometimes an explicit connection to what we see. Thus, each work represents an autonomous and instinct-driven process.
