On  completing  her Ylioppilas, Finnish-born Helena emigrated to Boston. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Massachusetts College of Art and then worked as an architectural interior designer at Benjamin Thompson Associates (BTA) and retail designer at Crate & Barrel and Design Research.  She continued her artwork throughout this time as a member of the Cambridge Artists Association. Works during this time, primarily oil on canvas, were inspired by the Bauhaus legacy of BTA, Marimekko, the Kalevala,  and the river of her childhood.

While on holiday abroad,  inspired by the beauty of Ireland’s West Coast,  Helena moved to County Kerry in 1996. Work from this period includes singular commentary on overdevelopment of the rural environment, stylistic interpretation of interior and exterior vernacular and the natural environment. Patrons during this time include  the Four Seasons Hotel, Doonbeg Resort, and the Office of Public Works. Her painting “The Bungalows Are Coming” was awarded the DeVeres Prize at the Royal Hiberian Academy‘s annual art exhibition. Her paintings exist in private collections in North America, the UK, and the EU. (See the LEGACY page for images.)

Helena returned to her native river landscape in 2021. In 2022 she was accepted to Taidemaalariliito (the Finnish Painters Union). Five recent pieces will be displayed on the Taidemaalariliito website from February 17 to March 4. Two of the five will be on display in the annual show in Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki from 11 to 19 March.

Contact Helena on the ENQUIRE page for information on available paintings, purchase and shipping prices.