Af Klint's exquisite botanical portfolio reveals a deep spiritual connection with the flora of her native Sweden.

During the springs and summers of 1919 and 1920, the Swedish artist Hilma af Klint immersed herself in a period of intense nature observation, delving into forests and fields to sketch the flowers she encountered. The resulting 46 prints comprise her portfolio Studies in Nature, recently acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In pencil and jewel-toned watercolour, af Klint juxtaposed exquisitely rendered flowers with enigmatic diagrams: a blooming sunflower is reflected in concentric circles; the lily of the valley appears next to a coloured board; the cat flower stands in front of a pair of symmetrical spirals. These two modes - representation and abstraction - demonstrate the artist's belief that close observation of nature reveals what lies behind the flowers: ineffable aspects of the human character.

Published on the occasion of the first public exhibition of this rare portfolio, Hilma af Klint: What Lies Behind the Flowers presents the drawings alongside contextual works and translations of unpublished writings by the artist. An introductory essay by curator Jodi Hauptman explores the portfolio and the circumstances of its creation; texts by Ewa Lajer-Burcharth, Laura Neufeld and Lena Struwe analyse the imagery, materiality and botanical knowledge underlying these works. Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and established herself as a professional artist. In the first decade of the 20th century, she developed a unique abstract vocabulary, some years before her contemporaries. Whether on canvas or on paper, his unique work is marked by his spiritual investigations and, as this project demonstrates, by a deep interest in and attunement with the natural world.

Publisher: Waanders