Hilma af Klint exhibition
Hilma af Klint exhibition
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This exhibition catalog was published in conjunction with "Hilma af Klint," the first large-scale retrospective in Asia of Hilma af Klint (1862–1944). The exhibition was held at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, from March to June 2025, and showcased approximately 140 works, all exhibited for the first time in Japan, ranging from early pieces to her representative series "The Paintings for the Temple."
Af Klint received a formal art education at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, producing portraits and landscapes, while also developing a deep interest in spiritualism and theosophy. In "The Paintings for the Temple," a series of 193 works created between 1906 and 1915, she employed motifs reminiscent of geometric forms, plants, cells, and celestial bodies, developing abstract expressions that predated contemporaries like Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian.
This book features color plates of works such as the 10-piece series "The Ten Largest" (1907), which measures over 3 meters in height, as well as "Primordial Chaos," "Eros," "Evolution," and "The Swan." It traces her activities in a five-chapter structure, from her academy days to "The Paintings for the Temple," her subsequent approach to anthroposophy, and her later systematization of works and notes.
In addition to essays by Kenjiro Miwa and Kenjiro Okazaki, the book includes a lecture by af Klint from around 1924, a text from 1937, a chronology, key references, and a list of works.
[Title] Hilma af Klint
[Publisher] Nikkei Inc.
[Publication Date] April 23, 2025 (2nd printing, 1st edition)
[Page Count] 288 pages
[Size] Approx. 230 x 297 x 20mm / 1010g
[Format] Softcover, perfect bound with exposed spine
[Language] Japanese / English
[Title Reading] HIRUMA AF KURINTO TEN
[Author/Editor, etc.] Kenji Miwa, Kenjiro Okazaki / Authors; Kenji Miwa, Takayuki Yamada, Tomoya Sugisaki, Norihiro Masuda (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo), Nikkei Inc. Culture Business Department, Seiko Sakurai, Mitsuko Sako / Editors; Natsuko Yoneyama (YONEYAMA LLC.) / Design
[Printing & Binding] DNP Dai Nippon Printing / Printing & Binding
[ISBN] -
[Condition] Used [8] Good (generally good)
[Accessories] -
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibition] "Hilma af Klint," The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, March 4 – June 15, 2025
Hilma af Klint (1862–1944)
Born in Sweden in 1862. She entered the Royal Academy of Arts in 1882 and, after graduating in 1887, worked as a professional artist focusing on portraits and landscapes.
From the late 19th century, she deepened her interest in spiritualism and theosophy, and in 1896, she formed "De Fem" (The Five) with four other women. Through automatic writing and automatic drawing, she developed visual expressions that differed from figurative depictions. From 1906 to 1915, she created "The Paintings for the Temple," a series of 193 works.
She kept most of these works private during her lifetime, and after her death in 1944, they remained largely unknown for a long time. Since the 1980s, her work has gained exposure through exhibitions, and in the 21st century, it has undergone international re-evaluation.
< Related Figures >
Wassily Kandinsky
Piet Mondrian
Rudolf Steiner
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum





