The Five Lives of Hilma af Klint

by Phillipp Deines, Julia Voss, Hilma af Klint (Artist)

A moving biography, told in vivid illustrations, this graphic novel features key moments in the life of Swedish artist and pioneer of abstract painting Hilma af Klint (1862–1944). Long underrecognized, af Klint has been amid a sensational rediscovery that continues to take art audiences by storm.

Artist Philipp Deines traces the story of now world-famous af Klint’s unique life and groundbreaking oeuvre through five chapters featuring her development as an artist, her family background, and her relationship to the spiritual. Highlighting how she came to her distinctive paintings, her spiritual quest, and the friends who helped her, this is a story of the strength it took af Klint to continue as an artist against all odds.

Beautifully drawn, brightly colored, and well researched, this graphic novel is a new way of looking at the story of an artist. Referencing Julia Voss’s new biography of af Klint, Deines presents an accessible and lively introduction for many ages. Biography, art history, and contemporary narrative style merge and complement each other in this magnificent visual world.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Art, Comics, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Womens

120 pages, Hardcover

Published August 30, 2022

Reviews

[anna marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's biggest weakness is simply that this not a book of hilma af klint's work & notebooks but rather imitations of them..... either way tho my gay spiritualist queen !!! i still cried at the drawings of some of her paintings / drawings lmao

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. But I would have liked to learn a bit more about Hilma af Klint’s life. Great as an introduction though.

[Beccy Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is clear that Phillip Deines and Julia Voss have devoted a significant portion of their lives to Hilma af Klint, and the care with which they have depicted and interpreted her life is beautiful.
Gorgeous illustrations, and an engaging and interesting book.

[Kim Tyo-Dickerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

We picked up this graphic biography in the museum gift shop after visiting the truly fascinating exhibition "Hilma af Klint and Wassily Kandinsky: Dreams of the Future Mar 16 – Aug 11, 2024" at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Originally written in German by author illustrator Philip Deines and translated into English by Renata Stein and Ruth Bittorf via Eriksen Translations, there is a distinctly superhero vibe to the brightly colored, dynamic panels that bring af Klint's communion with the spiritual realm into each chapter of her life. Large panels and double-page spreads of af Klint's energetic, freehand painting style also reinforce the supernatural vibe, almost as if she has powers over time and space. Deines reproduces af Klint's works and the key works of other artists of her generation in his own palette of bright yellows, greens, oranges and purples, as well as providing detailed interpretations of the streets and cityscapes she visited on her travels with her friend and lover Anna Cassel. Af Klint's loss of her youngest sister is given a pivotal role in her biography and her descent into spiritual experimentation and is coupled with an overview of af Klint's family of naval officers and mapmakers whose talents land them a title, adding the "af" to Klint, and point to the wealth that af Klint drew from to pursue her career in art. Af Klint's beliefs in and celebrations of the duality of gender through her art, her friendships and her romantic partnerships with women were especially captivating to witness both in af Klint's artworks themselves and in Deines' five chapters. Next on my reading list is Hilma af Klint: A Biography by Julia Voss who is Deines' partner and who was researching for af Klint's biography and inspired Deines to begin to capture some of the key moments in af Klint's life and work.

All in all, this was a fantastic reading experience after enjoying a major exhibition. I am still thinking about the images and words overlapping in my mind between the "Dreams of the Future" exhibition and Deines' book. I am curious to see if my teenage son, who is a graphic nonfiction fan, will enjoy it as much with little to no prior knowledge of af Klint's life and work.

[Dylan Zucati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most exciting biography, mostly just a historical text told through images. Totally succeeded for what it was and how little I knew of Hilma af Klint before reading. It just didn't blow my socks off or anything.

[lucy black · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect concise, visual summary of Hilma af Klint’s life and work. I learnt a lot about this magnificent artist and I loved the way the author was never condescending or patronising about her unusual beliefs and approach to the world and her art.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without any irony whatsoever the graphic novel biography talked a lot more about the occult thoughts, and the queerness of Hilma af Klint than the scholarly book I just finished. Parts did feel a little over emphasised that didn't need it. (eg the military history of her family - not quite so interesting) But it was still a good queer autobiography which had a lot of original quotes and gave a good impression of who she was, and left me interested in learnign more. Definitely recommended.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent graphic novel introduction to an artist I only knew a little bit about. I loved the colors here - somehow both vibrant and muted, both naturalistic and hallucinatory. Big, uncrowded panels with a few gorgeous full-page spreads. I really want to see Hilma's huge paintings in person someday, and I really want to visit the Swedish islands that her and Tove Jansson and my ancestors all loved.

[sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

the arial font was not the right move but otherwise absolutely stunning art and colors !!

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like other reviewers, I'm already fascinated by Hilma, and bought this book as one more to add to my Hilma library. What I didn't expect was how much detail of this woman's life could be expressed through this medium! It included far more nuances (and probably some more recent discoveries) than I'd read elsewhere. I know Hilma's diaries are still being poured over, and new stories about her have emerge from them. I found the lineage on her father's side fascinating, and it did not detract from the whole. I also didn't expect to see an exposé on the paintings themselves in a graphic novel. So I disagree with other critics that these were shortcomings. It was everything I could have hoped for and far more!

[Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes yes yes! I would give this 6 stars if I could--or 10! I attended the 2018 Guggenheim Exhibition of Hilma af Klint's work, and it rocked my world. I had no idea until reading this graphic novel that that would become the most-visited exhibition in the Guggenheim's history. Hilma af Klint's work is unique, visionary, and she absolutely deserves to be part of the art historical canon. Her style is conveyed and replicated beautifully by Phillipp Deines. It really comes through how much he and co-author Julia Voss fell in love with her fascinating life. As a queer reader, I also greatly appreciated the nods to Hilma's (potential, I think many of the details have been lost to history) lesbian relationships, which were deeply meaningful to me.

[Truitt_T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew little of Hilma af Klint’s life before reading The Five Lives of Hilma af Klint, and now I find myself intrigued. I didn’t love this graphic biography, but I felt the artwork did a great job of conveying the feel of Klint’s work. I wish I had seen the Guggenheim exhibition of her work - it must have been truly fabulous. Fascinating.

[Krisanne Knudsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilma af Klint is one of my favorite artists, and I loved learning a bit more about her in this graphic novel. Independent, queer, spiritualist, and an absolute visionary. I also learned that her 2018 show at the Guggenheim broke the museum's record for most attended exhibition. Her work was dismissed when she was alive, so it is really gratifying to see her paintings finally get the attention they deserve.

[Kjerstif · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. I dunno. Maybe knowing the basic of Hilma’s life already, I was hoping for a deeper look. Maybe illustrated biographies just aren’t my cup of tea.

While i enjoyed many of the larger drawings in the book that combined her symbology with her figure, i didn’t find myself blown away like i expected. I think the drawing style just wasn’t my favorite i kept thinking how i’d draw things differently.

[Susannah Breslin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I was aware of Hilma af Klint’s work, I didn’t know much about her until I read The Five Lives of Hilma af Klint by Philipp Deines. The oversized book features five chapters of visual biography of the artist’s life, from her privileged upbringing to her spiritual journey to her secret queerness. I recommend this book to anyone who is an artist, who wants to feel inspired by a woman who wasn’t “discovered” until long after her death.

[Cinthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó!!!!! Lo pedí de regalo sin saber que era una novela gráfica y me gustó mucho!

Lo leí justo al terminar la biografía que escribió Julia Voss entonces todas las ilustraciones tuvieron más sentido y me sorprendió enterarme que son esposos!!

Me emocionó ese dato también. Se les agradece a los 2 tanto detalle sobre la vida y entorno de Hilma.

Me encantó el formato del libro, la calidad del papel, los colores, todo!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilma af Klint ist eine spannende Persönlichkeit in der Kunstgeschichte, nur leider kommt die Graphic Novel sprachlich hölzern daher und auch inhaltlich ist ihr Leben einfach nicht sehr elegant aufbereitet; teilweise wirkt es sehr kindlich. Würde eher zu einer Biografie tendieren, um mehr über sie zu erfahren.

[Audris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this artist, I love this story about the artist, and the second I saw this come into the library I checked it out because I will read and watch anything I can find about her. When I found out she was gay I was like duh, all the best women are. Her having like a weekly seance group is so cool to me. God I wish I could go back in time and be her friend.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A biography of an under-the-radar Swedish artist that adopts her art style with diminishing returns. Excellent as an introduction to a disregarded art star, though (loved the tidbit about her grandfather saving the Swedish navy in 1790).

Basically, it's a five paragraph essay turned into a 160 page book with lots of swirling colors and handsome Swedish landscapes.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dienes' wife, Julia Voss, has devoted quite a bit of time and energy into finding out about Hilma af Klint and has written a biography which was recently translated into English. Philipp Dienes' interest in af Klimt seems to have originated from his wife's, which carried through to their whole family.

[Perline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there a better way to learn about an artist than to read a piece of art written and drawn about them? I enjoyed the rendition of Hilma af Klint’s art into this typical comics style. This comics was drawn by the husband of the biographer of Hilma af Klint, who helped popularize her in the last decade, this makes it even more touching somehow.

[Webcowgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good art but I really have some questions about how the biographer determined the shape of af Klint's relationship with her female friends? That said, I haven't read through her notebooks, so I'm sure there's more for me to learn ....

[Sonja Butt]

Graphic novel biography about an artist from the 1800s named Hilma af Klint whose work drew from spirituality and unseen energies. She knew her work was ahead of its time and stored it to be rediscovered, which it was, and she is now world renowned.

[Russell Blickhan]

as much as I love af klint's work, I still find her ongoing lionization mysterious. kinda feels like she was overlooked by art historians because... she really didn't have that much of an impact. was really more of an outsider artist. anyway this is pretty skippable

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes more of this stuff everywhere

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice art!!! didn’t know she was gay haha

[Kanako Okiron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philipp Deines needs to become super famous so I can create a graphic novel about his lush career someday ;)

[Bec Rindler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different and queer envisioning of HAK’s life and art

[Christine O · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork in this graphic novel is incredible and very representational of Hilma's beautiful colorful artwork.

[Alexandra HM · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5- beautifully illustrated but could have used more detail on her life