Biography

Henrik Grathe

 “Capturing the ever-changing light and the quiet poetry of nature.”

Henrik Grathe works in his studio in Tällberg, Dalarna, Sweden. Through his painting, he explores the relationship between light, colour and atmosphere in nature. The landscape is a recurring point of departure, but it is above all its atmosphere and ever-changing character that fascinate him.

His painting is closely connected to Impressionism, but over time has evolved towards an increasingly abstract expression. In this movement from the figurative towards the abstract, colour, light and brushwork become increasingly independent means of expression. His concern is less with depicting nature and more with conveying the experiences and moods evoked by an encounter with the landscape.

His artistic explorations have points of connection with Claude Monet’s late work, in which the forms of nature dissolve into light and colour, as well as with Mark Rothko’s meditative fields of colour and Joan Mitchell’s free and expressive painting. These artists serve as points of reference in his own exploration of the possibilities of colour and the development of a personal abstract expression.

Artistic Background
Henrik Grathe is the artist’s name of Henrik Grathwohl-Heino, born in 1946 in Norrbotten County, Sweden. He lives in Sweden and Germany.

He studied at the Watercolour School in Meissen and at Kew Gardens in London, as well as at Gerlesborg Art School, where he was a student of Professor Georg Suttner. He has also worked under the guidance of artists Harald Lyth and Helene Billgren.

During the 1980s, he held several solo exhibitions, including one at Modern Konst i Hemmiljö on Strandvägen in Stockholm. In the early 2000s, he participated in a group exhibition at Sofiero Palace in Helsingborg, where he was voted the audience’s favourite.

Following his solo exhibition at Mollbrinks Konst in Uppsala in 1988, he took an extended break from exhibiting. In 2019, he returned with a new solo exhibition at Galleri Elverket in Djursholm.

During October 2026, he stayed and worked at Klitgaarden Refugium in Skagen, Denmark. In November 2026, he is participating in the CarArt Biennale in Leksand, presenting several works created during his stay in Skagen.

Reflections on His Painting
“Here we have a painter whose primary concern is to give artistic expression to his close relationship with nature. Nor does he intend to do violence to what he sees – quite the contrary. Everything is treated with affection and a refined sense of colour …”

Östgöta Correspondenten, 5 June 1980.

“Henrik seeks out hidden nuances through subtle and refined solutions: the grain of the canvas vibrates beneath the thinly applied paint, countless tonal values shimmer across the surface. Henrik Heino is drawn to tranquil lakes, to the indefinable light of dawn and dusk. His paintings are permeated by a much deeper longing for beauty …”

Uppsala Nya Tidning, 7 May 1981.