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Phoebe Helander (born 1988) is an American painter known for her small-scale oil paintings that capture the ephemeral nature of everyday objects and personal relationships. Her work, rooted in the tradition of still life and portraiture, explores themes of time, vulnerability, and the tactile qualities of paint. [1]
Helander earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hampshire College in 2011, where she studied art. [2] After graduating, she experienced a period of uncertainty, as noted in a 2016 article from the Amherst Bulletin, where she expressed feeling "at loose ends" and missing the structure of academic life. [3] Helander later attended Yale University, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in 2019. [2]
Helander's work is characterized by small-scale oil paintings, typically measuring around 11 by 14 inches, executed on linen or wood supports. [4] Her subjects are often quotidian objects—such as a chipped glass, a burning candle, a cup of coffee, or a ranunculus flower—as well as portraits of family members and self-portraits. [5] These works are notable for their close observation and their ability to imbue ordinary subjects with psychological and temporal resonance. [6] [7] Helander often revisits the same motifs, introducing subtle shifts in perspective or emotional tone, which underscore the transient nature of her subjects. [6] [8]
Her paintings reject the polished perfection of traditional still life, instead embracing imperfections such as visible brush hairs or abraded surfaces to highlight the passage of time and the fragility of existence. [5] [9] For instance, in Candle Burning IX (2025), Helander depicts a candle's melting wax as a metaphor for impermanence, equating the drip of wax to the stroke of a paintbrush. [10] Her embrace of imperfection or impermanence aligns her work to a lineage of women artists such as Lois Dodd, Catherine Murphy, Sylvia Plimack Mangold, and Josephine Halvorson, who emphasize time and observation in their paintings. [8]
Helander's self-portraits, reveal a personal vulnerability. In one, she paints herself applying lipstick unevenly, with red-rimmed eyes suggesting emotional or physical exhaustion, offering a poignant commentary on the impermanence of beauty and the human condition. [11] Her work has been described as "modestly morbid," capturing fragile moments frozen in time, akin to "future fossils" for future generations to interpret. [8]
Helander has exhibited at Pamela Salisbury Gallery in Hudson, New York, where she has had three solo exhibitions:
Her work was also shown at Palo Gallery in New York. [11] [18] Helander participated in a studio visit with Gorky's Granddaughter in June 2022. [19]