– Form is a void, and the void is a form.

Norwegian sculptor Hilde Mæhlum (born 1945) has been working with masks for a long time. She employs a variety of materials, spanning from paper over metal to stone.

Konkavt ansikt (Concave Face) is the product of Mæhlum's fascination with the concave – or negative – facial shape. This fascination is due to the optical phenomenon that can be observed when one regards a negative shape from a distance. The form can be perceived as a positive. Also, Concave Face explores the way the beholder's consciousness itself is crucial in creating the work of art, dependent on one's point of view and emotional state.

In quoting Saint-Exupéry's book The Little Prince, Maaretta Jaukkuri has found the essence of Mæhlum's art: “Goodbye”" said the fox. “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Hilde Mæhlum's sculptures make what can bee seen with the heart and the eye visible to us.

Konkavt ansikt (Concave Face), 2006.

© Hilde Mæhlum / BONO

Marble, 300 cm.