Bio

Helma Groot is a Dutch artist living in Columbus, Ohio. She is represented by galleries in Michigan and West Virginia. Helma's solo shows include Port Columbus Airport, West Liberty State College in West Virginia, Ohio Dominican University in ​​Columbus, Ohio, and the Argyle Gallery in Newark, Ohio.

She has created public art pieces for the American Cancer Society, the Dublin Arts Council, American Art Resources, Toledo Children's Hospital, Bexley High School, SKOR in the Netherlands, and others. She was featured on HGTV's That's Clever in 2007.

After attending high school in Indonesia, Germany, and the US, Helma graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1989, and studied furniture making in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She currently teaches art at Bexley High School.

 

Artist Statement

My goal is to create work that speaks to the viewer through allegory and symbolism. My work is inspired by the folk art of Native North Americans as well as the hieroglyphics and carvings of the Maya and Aztec cultures. Graffiti also has a strong influence on my work.  I create work that is energetic, bright, and powerful. I aim to make it hard for the viewer to look away.  Through the strength of my imagery, I hope to convey messages of independence, personal growth, and transformation.