Emma Helle’s embellished stoneware sculptures are each unique and expressive. The work featured in this auction, Posy, exudes opulence, mischievousness, and confidence. Posy revels in the spotlight, embodying a sense of theatrical presence.

The medium itself—stoneware clay, which Helle has consistently explored over the years—also carries particular significance. Once largely overlooked, clay has in recent years experienced a remarkable resurgence, entering the realm of established gallery spaces.

Seen in this light, Helle’s practice can be read as an allegory of today’s zeitgeist: the urgent questions of representation, diversity, and whose stories are brought to the fore.

Emma Helle (b. 1979) graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Finland, in 2007. Her work has since been presented in solo shows at Turku Art Museum, Turku and Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland, as well as in group shows at Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki and Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA, Espoo, Finland. She is represented in private and public collections including KIASMA, Helsinki Art Museum HAM and Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA, Espoo, Finland.