The collection of Leonard and Katarina Bäcksbacka played a decisive role in the founding of the Helsinki City Art Museum. Bäcksbacka’s 448 artworks were donated to the City of Helsinki in 1976, and became the core of the art museum’s collection.

Leonard and Katarina Bäcksbacka collected art by 20th century Finnish artists, their contemporaries. They were especially fascinated with art that derives its power from colour.

A part of the exhibition space at HAM has been permanently assigned to the Bäcksbacka collection, which constitutes the roots of the art museum.

Changing exhibitions will look at the collection from varying perspectives. They will also include works from the rest of HAM’s collection and loans from external collections.

HAM’s roots retells stories of Finnish art and of the different aspects of Finnish modernism. It includes some 60 works from 27 artists, from the powerful Tyko Sallinen to the lyrical Ellen Thesleff and from the classical Wäinö Aaltonen to the poetic Rafael Wardi.

All works in the Roots of HAM exhibition are from the museum’s own collection. The exhibition was curated by Kati Nenonen, who is a curator at HAM.