Helen Hooker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Hooker
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Hooker circa 1930
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| Born | 1 January 1905 |
| Died | 2 April 1993 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Sculpture and portrait painting |
| Parent(s) | Elon Huntington Hooker and Blanche Ferry |
Helen Hooker was an American artist. She was a talented sculptor and portrait painter. Helen spent many years living and working in Ireland. She was also known as Helen Hooker O'Malley Roelefs.
Contents
Early Life and Artistic Beginnings
Helen Hooker was born on January 1, 1905. Her birthplace was Greenwich, Connecticut in the United States. She was one of four daughters. Her father, Elon Huntington Hooker, was a successful chemical engineer. Her family was very wealthy. They had many important ancestors. These included six governors from Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Helen attended Miss Chapin's School in New York. She finished there in 1923. That same year, she won a big tennis championship. She was ranked among the top ten junior tennis players. Helen loved art from a young age. She made her first sculpture, a rabbit, when she was only six.
Instead of going to college, Helen studied art. She learned sculpture from famous artists. These included Mahonri Young and William Zorach. She also studied in Paris, France. There, she learned from Antoine Bourdelle. Helen traveled a lot to learn more art. She studied wood carving in Germany. She learned about sculpture and dance in Greece. She even studied theatre design in Moscow. In Leningrad, she learned painting. She was taught by the Russian artist Pavel Filonov.
Life and Art in Ireland
In 1933, Helen met an Irish writer. His name was Ernie O'Malley. They fell in love. Helen's family did not approve of him. But they still got married in London in 1935. The couple first lived in Dublin, Ireland. Later, they moved to County Mayo in 1937.
Helen's father helped them financially. They bought a large property. It was called Burrishoole Lodge. It had forty acres of land. Helen bought more land in 1942. The family worked the land as a farm. They also collected many artworks. Their collection included pieces by famous artists. Some were Jack Butler Yeats and Henry Moore.
Helen and Ernie had three children. Their names were Cathal, Etáin, and Cormac. By 1944, their marriage was having problems. Helen and Ernie separated. They later divorced in 1952. Helen then moved back to the United States with two of her children. Their youngest child stayed in Ireland.
Helen continued to support the arts in Ireland. She gave many photographs to the National Library of Ireland. These photos were taken by Helen and Ernie. They showed old Irish sites and beautiful views. They also had pictures of people. Helen also helped create the O'Malley art collection. Part of this collection is now at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The other part is with the Mayo County Council.
Helen's Artistic Creations
After returning to Connecticut in 1930, Helen showed her art. She had an exhibition of her watercolors. This was at the Darien art guild. She also had another show in New York in 1933.
Helen first showed her work in Ireland in 1943. Her sculpture Island woman was displayed. She also showed A portrait of Mrs Kiernan. This was at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). She showed more pieces at art exhibitions until 1948.
In 1943, Helen built an art studio. It was at Burrishoole. Later, she moved to Dublin in 1944. She started working with the Players' Theatre there. She designed sets for plays. After her marriage ended, Helen split her time. She lived between Connecticut and Dublin.
In 1950, Helen had her first solo art show. It was in Dublin. She showed busts of famous writers. These included Liam O'Flaherty. Critics said she was a skilled sculptor. They liked her portraits. They felt she captured people's personalities well.
After moving back to Connecticut, she had more shows. She held her first sculpture exhibition there. From 1960, Helen spent six months a year in Ireland. She felt her best artistic years were spent there. She created sculptures of many famous Irish people. These included writers like Mary Lavin and Seamus Heaney. She also sculpted singer Dana Rosemary Scallon.
One famous sculpture was of Éamon de Valera. He was a former Irish president. He only met Helen for 20 minutes. She then worked for 36 hours. She sculpted his portrait from memory. Helen showed her art more in the United States. A big show of her work was held in Connecticut in 1973. In 1985, another exhibition showed 21 of her portraits. These included sculptures of Samuel Beckett and James Galway.
Later Life and Legacy
Helen married Richard Roelefs in 1956. They settled in Connecticut. Richard passed away in 1971. Helen Hooker died on April 2, 1993. She was in Greenwich, Connecticut.
After her death, a special trust was created. It was called the Helen Hooker O'Malley Roelefs Sculpture Trust. This trust holds 41 of her Irish portraits. The University of Limerick now has a permanent exhibition. It features the O'Malley Collection. This exhibition opened in 2004.
