Helmi Arrak (1988) is an artist based in Tallinn who works in the fields of painting, drawing, illustration, and graphic design. She is fascinated by the vulnerability, androgynous beauty, and contradictions inherent in people. She uses the concept of “bedroom portraiture” to describe her drawings and paintings. The small home studio, where these pieces are often created, brings a sense of idleness, admiration, and dreaming, which naturally transfers into the portraits themselves. The figures she depicts — actors, musicians, and other creatives — become like everyday objects, casually strewn about, much like banana peels discarded on a floor or figures glimpsed in Instagram posts, magazines, or films. These abandoned moments, are both personal and intimate, yet inseparably linked to the realm of pop culture and idol worship. Influenced by artists like Marlene Dumas and Elizabeth Peyton, her work captures fleeting, yet profound glimpses into the intersection of individual experience and collective imagery.
Helmi received her BA in Painting from the University of Tartu and a degree in Furniture Design at the Tartu Art College.
Feel free to contact for possible collaborations and projects: helmifrida@gmail.com
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