In March while I was in Portland, I did a reading for an artist who wanted to connect with an artist from the past whom I was not familiar with, Hilma af Klint. Hilma made herself known in the room even before I finished praying. Hilma’s first words to her fellow artist were “I am interested in you, too.” Her core message in the reading is for all of us: “I found you. I am here to guide you. Let’s work.” This duplicates her own experience in working with guides, who helped her create work for the future.

Hilma was born in Stockholm in 1862, and attended the Royal Academy of Art there. When she was 18, her sister died, which sparked an interest in communicating with those who are passed and spirituality. With a group of friends, know as The Five, she explored mediumship and connecting with guides. In 1906, she received guidance to make a series of downloaded painting for the future. She accepted this guidance, and in the next nine years she created nearly 200 works, in a series called Paintings for the Temple. She asked that her paintings not be shown for 20 years after her death, which came in 1944, as the world was not ready for them.

A fascinating truth about intuition is that we accept people in the past who tuned in, like Joan of Arc and Jesus, but we mostly dismiss it in the present. The difference ultimately is about being right or wrong. The sketches Hilma drew of the temple show it to be a spiral space. Spectators would view the work as they slowly  ascended up the spiral. That exact design is found in the Guggenheim museum in New York, which currently has on display a huge retrospective of Hilma’s work until April 23rd. (I am going!)

Have a look at this seven minute video about her work, made by the Guggenheim – https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/hilma-af-klint

Here is a detailed podcast featuring the curator of the exhibit, Tracey Bashkoff – https://manpodcast.com/portfolio/no-363-hilma-af-klint-frans-hals/

In sharing information about her with friends, many have become enchanted by her story and have made contact with her, which is easy as she was adept at working with guides herself. 

Hilma did not play by the rules of culture, gender, period or time. She surrendered herself to the highest good, allowing guidance to work through her. She is a wonderful model of the power of faith and non-attachment.