Helena Rye
Helena Rye is a fine art artist born in Denmark, living and working in Copenhagen. Her work explores inner transformation towards higher consciousness, inviting viewers on an ethereal dream-like journey beyond the physical. Using elements of water, silk, and florals, she aims to evoke feelings of belonging, and peace, offering solace amidst a chaotic world.
Collect Bean: How do you think your work has evolved?
Helena Rye: Drawing has been a big part of my life since I was ten years old. I have always been drawn to feminine elements, particularly those found in the ocean and nature as a whole. Before starting an artwork, I used to plan my work down to the finest detail. However, over the years, my practice has become more intuitive and evolved into a meditative process where I can set my ego aside and allow whatever needs to emerge to come through. For the past year, I have particularly focused on soft pastels, and I have enjoyed working with this medium as it enhances the softness and fluidity of my works. The smooth transitions that you get from working with pastels add some emotional depth to the art. The next step for my practice is oil painting, where I work with a lot of layering to achieve the same depth as my soft pastel drawings.
Collect Bean: Are there any recurring themes or motifs in your art, and if so, what do they represent to you?
Helena Rye: Water, silk and florals are core elements in my work. To me, these elements in combination represent the ever-changing inner journeys that each of us undertake in this lifetime. The interplay between these elements evoke feelings of calmness and peace. As human beings we are always growing and evolving through our experiences and reflections, and this is the journey that I try to capture in my works.
Collect Bean: What is one of your current goals as an artist?
Helena Rye: My goal in the near future is to have my first gallery representation and, eventually, a solo exhibition.
Collect Bean: How do you balance your practice with your daily life?
Helena Rye: Finding the balance between my art practice and daily life has been challenging. For the past three years, I worked as a developer and UI designer. I spent most of my spare time drawing and trying different mediums, but it was tough to be in the exploration phase while working full-time. It was not until I got laid off from my tech role that I dared give it an honest try. That life circumstance really gave me time to figure out who I would be as an artist. Now, I have arrived at a good place with my practice where everything flows more naturally. I'm still in the early stages of my art career, but I'm excited about the year ahead, where my goal is to harmonize my art practice with a freelance web design career.
Collect Bean: Are there any artists or movements that have inspired or influenced your work?
Helena Rye: I am very inspired by the transcendental painting group, a movement of American artists in the 1930s and 1940s. I love their spiritual approach to carrying painting beyond the appearance of the physical world. Agnes Pelton’s work, in particular, resonates with me deeply. Georgia O'Keeffe is also a big inspiration.
