about

work

The work wrestles with the human condition at the brink of ecological, technological, and psychological event horizons.
It is a multi-disciplinary practice investigating how we confront our own powerlessness in the face of cataclysmic events.
victoria helena coined the term Apocalyptic Expressionism to encapsulate their practice sitting within their larger context of  ApocalypseCore. Often fetishizing the discarded materials of human engineering, embedded with pyrrhic accomplishment the work becomes a ritualistic atonement. 

victoria helena works with a myriad of textures twisted and woven, metal heated and curved, alongside various found objects, transforming them into intricate, three-dimensional forms that challenge traditional notions of sculpture. The intricate textures and patterns created by the multitude of protruding elements evoke a sense of organic unity, as if each individual component contributes to the overall formation of these living, breathing structures.

Drawings are organically created through meditative repetitive dot work with varying densities of stippling to create a dynamic interplay between positive and negative spaces, inviting the viewer’s eye to navigate the intricate pathways and voids, demonstrating a remarkable level of patience, precision, and attention to detail – as the accumulation of countless dots coalesces into visually striking and enigmatic compositions. They invite contemplation on the relationship between the microscopic and the macroscopic, the individual and the collective – as above, so below.

Demanding bodily engagement, the viewer becomes a witness to material memory, interdependence and interconnectedness. The pieces delve into our hidden selves and indoctrinations, uncomfortably exploring how personal histories and collective futures are inextricably bound. Our existence being defined only through our relationship to something else – where the personal meets the political. Whatever state we inhabit now will inevitably shift. The work reminds us of this transitory truth as we grapple with our impotence to stop these upheavals.

artist
b. 1977 Sweden
(Polish/Croatian from USA)
she/they
victoria helena is a multinational artist based in London while maintaining an international practice. Raised in a Polish Catholic working class tradition as an undocumented immigrant for most of their childhood , victoria helena quickly learned the profound importance of diasporic assimilation and ‘passing privilege’. This unique lived experience, further complicated by neurodivergence, queerness, and the entanglements of abuse and complex trauma, indelibly informs their multidisciplinary work as it intrepidly traverses varying states of powerlessness. 

victoria helena currently maintains a studio practice in Hackney. In addition to commissioned public artworks, victoria helena’s pieces reside in private collections across the United States and Europe. They are an alumnus of the Royal College of Art, having earned a Masters in Sculpture with distinction in 2019. victoria helena has also participated in the 58th International Venice Biennale, been shortlisted for the prestigious Mark Tanner Sculpture Prize, and completed the coveted Benson-Sedgwick Residency.