Helena Blomqvist

Helena Blomqvist’s dream-like imagery transports us into the subconscious. She works intuitively, condensing and translating her impressions and experiences into a visual language that is distinctly her own.

The creation of a single model can require months of work

She accomplishes this by constructing alternate worlds in her studio. Blomqvist builds models and props, which provide the backdrop for her narratives. She takes incredible care when constructing her models. The construction of the backdrops as well as the characters for her stories is laborious. The creation of a single model can require months of work. Moreover, Blomqvist takes incredible care when constructing each scene. The intensity and focus required to realize the beautifully crafted details of each model is central to her process. Once completed, the models are then photographed, the images digitally edited, and finally the resulting prints complete the illusion of a separate reality.Blomqvist’s constructions are very much in the spirit of staged photography pioneer Sandy Skoglund. Each character is the protagonist of a story that has sprung from her subconscious. The source of inspiration for Blomqvist’s work is a collection of dreams, nightmares, newspaper clippings, old photographs, myths and fairytales. Blomqvist often works in series in which we can follow her characters through various adventures. Her imagery is not always lighthearted. In fact, there is quite often an undertone of melancholy and despair. Over the years, Blomqvist has formed an entirely personal iconography. The exhibition at Fotografiska maps the development of this fascinating artist, from her earliest works created in the 2000 till today.Curator Michelle Marie Roy