“My paintings search for moments of quiet within an increasingly fast and noisy world.”
About Helena
Helena Palazzi is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Kingston, New York.
Born in Sweden and educated in Italy, her work reflects the meeting of two distinct cultural sensibilities. Growing up in Sweden, Helena was shaped by a society that values collective unity over individuality and emphasizes balance, contentment, equality, and moderation. This cultural foundation fostered an early sensitivity to restraint, subtlety, and quiet observation that continues to influence her work.
In 1993, Helena moved to Italy to study at the Academy of Fine Arts Pietro Vannucci in Perugia, Umbria. The school was shaped by the legacy of Arte Povera, an approach that emphasizes conceptual thinking, material freedom, and experimentation. In contrast to the restraint of her Scandinavian upbringing, the artistic environment of the Accademia opened a new way of thinking about art-making; encouraging exploration, process, and a more expansive approach to materials and ideas. Soon after, she began exhibiting work across photography, painting, and mixed media.
In 1998 Helena relocated to New York City, where she spent more than two decades working internationally in fashion and commercial photography. During this time she brought many of her earlier artistic influences and creative instincts into her photographic work, often drawing on ideas from painting, composition, and visual storytelling to shape the concept and atmosphere of her shoots. Her experience in the visual arts allowed her to approach photography not only as a technical craft but as a creative space for experimentation and image-making.
After moving to the Hudson Valley in 2019, Helena gradually returned to painting with renewed focus and now works from her studio in Kingston, where she continues to develop her art practice.
Helena exhibits her work throughout the Hudson Valley, New York State, and beyond.
Artist Statement
My work searches for moments of quiet within an increasingly fast and noisy world.
I often begin my paintings with very diluted paint, laying down a thin wash that introduces a degree of unpredictability. This first layer sets the tone and becomes the ground from which the painting begins to build.
From there, I gradually develop the surface with greater intention, introducing stronger colors, marks, and gestures in response to what unfolds on the canvas. The process moves between instinct and decision-making, allowing energy and movement to remain present as the composition slowly takes shape.
I am drawn to restraint. A few essential elements—a gesture, a line, a subtle shift in color—can be enough to hold the work together. At the same time, I push against that restraint, allowing moments of tension and disruption to enter the piece.
I often move between mediums, including painting, monotype printmaking, and encaustic photography. Each allows me to explore similar ideas through different materials and processes while maintaining a shared visual language.
This dialogue between holding back and pushing forward guides the work. I add, soften, erase, and adjust until the composition settles into a sense of balance.
Both my Swedish upbringing and my years studying in Italy have influenced how I approach making art. The Scandinavian inclination toward balance and moderation sits alongside the more open and exploratory approach I encountered in Italy, and this tension continues to shape my work.
My palette tends to remain restrained and somewhat moody, allowing small shifts in tone, gesture, and texture to carry weight. Through this reduction, I look for the moment when tension settles into balance and the work becomes still.