ESTHER AND HUGO GEHLIN – TWO MODERNISTS
Esther and Hugo Gehlin began studying art just as modernism was transforming the art world at the turn of the 20th century. They both set off on study trips to Europe, eagerly embracing these new artistic trends. Like many of their contemporaries, they worked in various artistic fields: Hugo as a woodcut engraver, a sculptor, an illustrator, a poet, and a designer in pewter and glass, and Esther as a textile artist and painter. Following their marriage, they settled in Helsinki. There, their home was for many years a meeting place for artists and leading cultural lights, and came to play a key role in the city’s modern art scene.