Finnish Artist's SoHo Loft: A Time Capsule of Art, Mystery, and Controversy

A Finnish Artist's SoHo Loft: A Time Capsule of Art, Mystery, and Controversy

<figure aria-label="media" role="group"> <div data-testid="photoviewer-children-figure"> <p><span>Image</span></p> <img alt="Canvases are stacked in an artist’s loft in vertical storage spaces." src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/09/02/multimedia/02Leino-hed-bqpv/02Leino-hed-bqpv-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;disable=upscale" srcset="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/09/02/multimedia/02Leino-hed-bqpv/02Leino-hed-bqpv-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp 600w,https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/09/02/multimedia/02Leino-hed-bqpv/02Leino-hed-bqpv-jumbo.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp 1024w,https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/09/02/multimedia/02Leino-hed-bqpv/02Leino-hed-bqpv-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp 2048w" sizes="100vw" decoding="async" width="600" height="400"> </div> <figcaption data-testid="photoviewer-children-ImageCaption"> <span>Canvases stacked in Iria Leino’s loft on Greene Street include one featuring actual high-heeled shoes and whiskey bottles (far left).</span> <span><span>Credit...</span><span><span aria-hidden="false">Katherine Marks for The New York Times</span></span></span> </figcaption> </figure>

When Iria Leino, a Finnish-born painter, died at 89, she left behind a treasure trove of over 1,000 artworks, a SoHo loft frozen in time, and a captivating story of an artist who lived a life shrouded in mystery.

Leino, who lived in the same SoHo building complex from 1966 until her death in 2022, was a pioneer in the New York art scene of the 1960s. Her loft, once a raw, 4,000-square-foot space in a former knitting factory, is a testament to her dedication to art, her unconventional lifestyle, and her fierce independence. Today, her loft, once rented for a mere $650 a month, is valued at an estimated $12,500 a month in rent.

While Leino's art career was overshadowed by her earlier success as a fashion model, her works reveal a kaleidoscope of styles and media, influenced by artists like Larry Poons and her own personal journey through Buddhism and spiritual awakening.

A Life in Art and Controversy

Leino's life was marked by both artistic ambition and a reluctance to share her work with the world. She participated in few exhibitions, sold little of her art, and fiercely guarded her creative space. Her story is one of a talented artist who, despite a challenging personal life and a sometimes prickly personality, remained steadfastly committed to her art.

Her apartment, now a time capsule of a bygone era, is a testament to her legacy, and her paintings, a captivating mix of styles and media, offer a glimpse into the artistic journey of a unique and enigmatic figure.