Emma Helle b. 1979

Biography

Born in Stockholm | Lives and works in Helsinki

 

Emma Helle is a Finnish sculptor who casts the spotlight on marginalized creatures and examines the question of representation in her work: whose stories are toldHer sculptures construct alternative narratives, drawing not only on art history but also on folklore and classical mythology. The surfaces of the sculptures range from rough to smooth, from glazed and richly colored to bare and raw surface. Helle’s figures are active agents, and her relaxed yet abundant mode of expression—emphasized by soft forms and a theatrical presence—recalls canonical works of art history. Across different periods, the depiction of the human figure has been shaped by specific conventions—a legacy that Helle engages with by challenging dualistic notions of the body.

 

Emma Helle is a graduate of the Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts. Her work is represented in many private and public collections, including the State Art Collection, the Helsinki Art Museum HAM, and the Pro Artibus Collection. She has had several solo exhibitions, including the Turku Art Museum, and she has taken part in group exhibitions at the Mänttä Art Festival, Kunsthalle Helsinki, and the Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA, Finland.
 

Galerie Forsblom has been representing Emma Helle since 2018.

Works
  • Emma Helle, Maastossa, 2026
    Emma Helle
    Maastossa, 2026
    Tempera on wood, anagama-fired kaolin-rich clay from Kerkkä
    35 x 28 x 28 cm
    13 3/4 x 11 x 11 in
  • Emma Helle, Nainen ja pyrstötähti, 2026
    Emma Helle
    Nainen ja pyrstötähti, 2026
    Glazed, gilded stoneware
    55 x 30 x 27 cm
    21 5/8 x 11 3/4 x 10 5/8 in
  • Emma Helle, Nukkuja, 2026
    Emma Helle
    Nukkuja, 2026
    Glazed, gilded stoneware
    11 x 22 x 10 cm
    4 3/8 x 8 5/8 x 4 in
  • Emma Helle, Helmiäinen / Mother-of-pearl / Pärlemor, 2025
    Emma Helle
    Helmiäinen / Mother-of-pearl / Pärlemor, 2025
    Anagama-fired, glazed stoneware
    62 x 30 x 30 cm
    24 3/8 x 11 3/4 x 11 3/4 in
  • Emma Helle, Miete/ Thought, 2025
    Emma Helle
    Miete/ Thought, 2025
    Glazed and gilded white and black porcelain
    8 5/8h x 12 3/5w x 6 7/8d in
    22.0h x 32.0w x 17.5d cm
  • Emma Helle, Puupilviputto, 2025
    Emma Helle
    Puupilviputto, 2025
    Anagama-fired, ash glazed, gilded stoneware
    34 x 16 x 17 cm
    13 3/8 x 6 1/4 x 6 3/4 in
  • Emma Helle, Pangaia, 2023
    Emma Helle
    Pangaia, 2023
    Glazed, gilded stoneware
    9 1/8h x 5 1/8w x 4 2/8d in
    23.0h x 13.0w x 11.0d cm
  • Emma Helle, Uusi aalto / Nya vågen / Nouvelle vague, 2020
    Emma Helle
    Uusi aalto / Nya vågen / Nouvelle vague, 2020
    Glazed, Gilded Red Clay
    10 5/8h x 7 1/8w x 8 5/8d in
    27.0h x 18.0w x 22.0d cm
  • Emma Helle, Delfiini on vihainen, 2018
    Emma Helle
    Delfiini on vihainen, 2018
    Glazed, Gilded Stoneware
    16 1/8h x 22 6/8w x 14 7/8d in
    41.0h x 58.0w x 38.0d cm
  • Emma Helle, Spirit of Ecstasy, 2018
    Emma Helle
    Spirit of Ecstasy, 2018
    Glazed, Gilded Stoneware
    14 4/8h x 10 1/8w x 10 1/8d in
    37.0h x 26.0w x 26.0d cm
Exhibitions
Art Fairs