Long before abstract art became widely recognized, Hilma af Klint was creating visionary paintings that blurred the boundaries between the visible world and unseen realities such as science and spirituality, matter and spirit. Guided by scientific curiosity and profound spiritual experiences, Hilma af Klint developed a visual language unlike anything the art world had seen, challenging conventional gender roles and artistic expectations of her era.
Focusing on her groundbreaking series Atom and the Tree of Knowledge, this book explores how Hilma af Klint wove geometry, nature, mysticism, and early twentieth-century scientific discoveries into works that feel astonishingly modern
About the Author:
RACHEL VILLARI, PH.D., is an artist, professor, and art historian specializing in the life and work of Hilma af Klint. Her research, as outlined in her dissertation “Transcending Dichotomies: Hilma af Klint’s Confluence of Science and Spiritualism in Atom and the Tree of Knowledge,” examines the symbolic visual language in af Klint’s work and its connections to the intersections of art, science, and spiritualism. As a scholar, she is committed to amplifying the contributions of historically overlooked artists, particularly women whose voices have been marginalized in art history. By combining studio practice and art historical analysis, her work highlights af Klint’s innovative approaches and their broader cultural significance. She explores the greater significance and meaning in af Klint’s work and is dedicated to helping protect and safeguard her legacy.
