Was talking about this in other topic. Ateneum museum in Finland has currently exhibition of northern women and esotericism. Even if one could not make it to actual exhibition, there is also big hardcover art book under same title, available in Finnish, Swedish and English editions. When buying the book, can be worth to be careful that you get the language you want.
"The exhibition is the first showcase of the work of Northern women artists who have been influenced by alternative spiritual currents. The exhibition is groundbreaking, as the profound connection between modern art and esotericism, occultism and magic has previously been explored mainly through famous men artists.
The exhibition features both well-known and overlooked artists from the 19th century to the present day, including Anna-Eva Bergman, Anna Cassel, Ilona Harima, Sonja Ferlov Mancoba, Maja Fjaestad, Hilma af Klint, Iria Leino, Outi Pieski, Laila Pullinen, Elga Sesemann and Ellen Thesleff.
The exhibition features approximately 50 women artists from the Northern region, including Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Sápmi. In the exhibition, the North is presented as a cross-border entity, shaped by its own geography and imagery, that transcends the nation state.
Arcana Borealis highlights how esotericism, occultism and other alternative spiritual currents have become part of the artistic expression and everyday life of the artists. The key themes of the exhibition include the relationship between spirit and matter, questions related to life after death and the existence of the spirit world, and the aim to live in harmony with nature.
The exhibition is curated by Nina Kokkinen, a researcher of art and religion (University of Turku), and Marja Lahelma, chief curator at the Ateneum."
https://ateneum.fi/en/exhibitions/arcana-borealis-northern-women-and-esotericism/
The book:
Publisher: Finnish National Gallery / Ateneum, 2026.
Editor: Lene Wahlsten.
Editor-in-Chief: Nina Kokkinen, Marja Lahelma.
Photo editor: Petra Lehtoruusu.
Writers: Benedikt Hjartarson, Nina Kokkinen, Pirkko Kotirinta, Ylva Lagercrantz Spindler, Marja Lahelma, Kristoffer Noheden, Eeva-Kristiina Nylander, Oscar Ortiz-Nieminen, Jean Ramsay, Sunneva Kristín Sigurðardóttir, Karin Ström Lehander, Hannes Trygg, Anu Utriainen.
ISBN 978-952-7371-94-7
Size 18,5 x 27,5 cm, 312 pages. Hardcover.
For Finns can be worth to listen to https://areena.yle.fi/1-78587235
https://kokoelma.kansallisgalleria.fi/en/galleries/lc2pkd
When I was listening to the interview of curators etc, I was slightly in doubt whether this was going to be good. There was this element where you can't be quite sure if someone is exposing the overlooked great artists and remarkable esoteric art... or is it more re-contextualizing something that isn't really "esoteric art". We have plenty of works that are portraits, study of plants, flowers, abstract art, surreal art, something that could be filed into many of the categories out there in field of modern art. It still works. Curators had gone through plenty of information, writings, old letters, old artistic connections, to figure out who would qualify here even if not being obvious.
Some favorites was
Gudrun Åhlberg https://digitaltmuseum.org/021037639589/ahlberg-gudrun-1921-2014
Anna Cassel
Hilma af Klint
etc..