Art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

has existed in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

since the first settlements, but it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that Icelandic artists came to an international reputation. Mostly, they had studied in other countries, e.g. in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. The most important motifs for Icelandic painters were the nature of their home country and the human being, but they also used mythical and supernatural themes as well as socio-realistic motives. Around 1960 the Swiss-German artist

Dieter Roth Dieter Roth (April 21, 1930 – June 5, 1998) was a Swiss artist best known for his artist's books, editioned prints, sculptures, and works made of found materials, including rotting food stuffs. He was also known as Dieter Rot and Diter Rot. ...

moved to Iceland. His engagement with the Icelandic art scene was of great importance in introducing movements such as

conceptual art Conceptual art, also referred to as conceptualism, is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical, and material concerns. Some works of conceptual art, sometimes called insta ...

Fluxus Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finished product. Fluxus ...

happening A happening is a performance, event, or situation art, usually as performance art. The term was first used by Allan Kaprow during the 1950s to describe a range of art-related events. History Origins Allan Kaprow first coined the term "happen ...

body art Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. Body art covers a wide spectrum including tattoos, body piercings, scarification, and body painting. Body art may include performance art, body art is likewise utilized for investiga ...

, life art and

social sculpture Social sculpture is a phrase used to describe an expanded concept of art that was invented by the artist and co-founder of the German Green Party, Joseph Beuys. Beuys created the term "social sculpture" to embody his understanding of art's potential ...

, which since have formed a basis for Icelandic Contemporary Art.

Painters

Ásgrímur Jónsson Ásgrímur Jónsson (March 4, 1876 – April 5, 1958) was an Icelandic painter, and one of the first in the country to make art a professional living. He studied at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen between 1900 and 1903 and traveled widely afte ...

(1876–1958) *

Jóhannes Geir Jónsson Jóhannes Geir Jónsson (born 24. June 1927, d. 29. June 2003) was an Icelandic painter. He was born and raised in Skagafjörður in northern Iceland. His father was a local schoolmaster; his much younger mother died from child labour when he was ...

(1927–2003) *

Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (15 October 1885 – 13 April 1972) was an Icelandic painter. He is considered one of the most important artists of Iceland. Early life Born in poverty, Kjarval was adopted and as a young man worked as a fisherman. H ...

(1885–1972) * Þórarinn Þorláksson (1867–1924) * Jón Stefánsson (1881–1962) *

Einar Jónsson Einar Jónsson (11 May 1874 – 18 October 1954) was an Icelandic sculptor, born in ''Galtafell'', a farm in southern Iceland. Biography At a young age Einar proved himself to be an unusual child with an artistic bent. At that time there was li ...

(1863–1922) * Guðmundur Thorsteinsson (1891–1924) *

Gunnlaugur Scheving Gunnlaugur Óskar Scheving (8 June 1904 – 9 September 1972) was an Icelandic artist. He was one of Iceland's leading figurative painters and social realist painters of the 20th century. His art was part of a 1930s movement which broke with ...

(1904–1972) * Þorvaldur Skúlason (1906–1984) *

Karl Kvaran Karl Kvaran (November 17, 1924 – August 9, 1989) was an Icelandic painter and draughtsman. He is considered one of the principal exponents of the geometric abstractionist school of painting in Iceland in the early sixties. Education K ...

(1924–1989) * Svavar Guðnason (1909–1988) *

Nína Tryggvadóttir Nína Tryggvadóttir (March 16, 1913 – June 18, 1968) was born Jónína Tryggvadóttir in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland. She was one of Iceland's most important abstract expressionist artists and one of very few Icelandic female artists of her g ...

(1913–1968) *

Louisa Matthíasdóttir Louisa Matthíasdóttir (February 20, 1917 – February 26, 2000) was an Icelandic- American painter. Louisa was born in Reykjavík. From 1925 to 1937 she grew up in the famous Höfði house since her family resided there. She showed artistic ab ...

(1917–2000) *

Erró Erró (born Guðmundur Guðmundsson in 1932 in Ólafsvík, Iceland) is a visual artist and painter, who is best known for his painted pop art collages of images from comic books and advertisements.

(Guðmundur Guðmundson, born 1932) *

Bjarni Jónsson (artist) Bjarni Jónsson (September 15, 1934 – January 8, 2008) was an Icelandic painter. He was notable for his paintings of old Icelandic fishing boats, many of which have been added to the National Museum of Iceland, ''Þjóðminjasafn Íslands''. ...

(1934–2008) *

Haukur Halldórsson Haukur Halldórsson (born 1937 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic artist and illustrator. After beginning his career as a graphic designer and illustrator he developed into a visual artist. Halldórsson's work also includes sculpture. He is a co- ...

(born 1937) *

Einar Hákonarson Einar Hákonarson (born 14 January 1945, in Reykjavík, Iceland) is one of Iceland's best known artists. He is an expressionistic and figurative painter who brought the figure back into Icelandic painting in 1968. He is a pioneer in the Icelandi ...

(born 1945) *

Jón Óskar Jón Óskar Ásmundsson (18 July 1921, in Akranes – 20 October 1998, in Reykjavík) was an Icelandic poet born in Akranes Akranes () is a port town and municipality on the west coast of Iceland, around north of the capital Reykjavík. The ...

(born 1954) * Brian Pilkington (born 1950)

Contemporary artists

* Heimir Björgúlfsson (born 1975) * Gabríela Fridriksdóttir (born 1971) *

Kristján Guðmundsson Kristján Guðmundsson (born 1941, Snæfellsnes, Iceland) is a contemporary Icelandic conceptual artist. He started his career as an artist in the 1960s as a member of ''SÚM'' - a group of young artists influenced by then-new currents in concept ...

(born 1941) *

Gunnhildur Hauksdóttir Gunnhildur Hauksdóttir (born 1972, Iceland) is an Icelandic visual artist. Works of art created by Hauksdóttir consist of audio, video, performance such as dance, sculpture, drawing and text. Early life and education Hauksdóttir was born i ...

(born 1972) * Ragnar Kjartansson (born 1976) *

Steina Vasulka Steina Vasulka (born Steinunn Briem Bjarnadottir in 1940)
Soros Center for Contemporary Arts Budapest and Woody Vasul ...

(born Steinunn Briem Bjarnadottir in 1940) * Hugleikur Dagsson (born in 1977) * Sigurður Guðjónsson (born 1975) * Erla S. Haraldsdóttir (born 1967)

Sculptors

Ólafur Elíasson Olafur Eliasson ( is, Ólafur Elíasson; born 5 February 1967) is an Icelandic–Danish artist known for sculptured and large-scale installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer's ...

(1967–),

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

– Icelandic * Johann Eyfells (1923–2019) *

Gerður Helgadóttir Gerður Helgadóttir (1928–1975) was an Icelandic sculptor and stained glass artist. She studied at the Art and Craft School of Iceland (MHÍ), in Denmark, at the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, P ...

(1928–1975) *

, Einar Jónsson (1874–1954) * Gunnfríður Jónsdóttir (1889–1968) *

Ríkharður Jónsson Ríkharður Jónsson (12 November 1929 – 14 February 2017) was an Icelandic football player and manager. He made his debut for the Icelandic national team in 1947, and got 33 caps and 17 goals until 1965. This made him top goalscorer of th ...

(1888–1977) * Páll Guðmundsson (born 1959) * Sigurjón Òlafsson (1908-1982) *

Þorbjörg Pálsdóttir Þorbjörg Guðrún Pálsdóttir (February 10, 1919, Reykjavík – November 11, 2009, Reykjavík) was an Icelandic sculptor. She is perhaps best known for her four green alien-like public statues ''Dansleikur/Dance'' in Reykjavík, which she com ...

(1915–2009) * Nína Sæmundsson (1892–1965) *

Katrín Sigurdardóttir Katrín Sigurdardóttir (born 1967 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is a New York-based artist who works in installation and sculpture. Katrin studied at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts, Reykjavík and received a BFA from the San Francisco Art In ...

(born 1967) *

Ásmundur Sveinsson Ásmundur Sveinsson (20 May 1893 – 9 December 1982) was an Icelandic sculptor. Early years Ásmundur Sveinsson was born in Kolsstadir in West Iceland on 20 May 1893. In 1915 he moved to Reykjavík where he enrolled in the Technical College of ...

(1893–1982) *

Steinunn Thorarinsdottir Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir (transliterated as Thorarinsdottir; born April 20, 1955) is an Icelandic sculptor. Her work uses androgynous human figures such as those in her most notable exhibits ''Borders'' and ''Horizons''. Biography Steinunn ...

(born 1955)

Photographers

* Ragnar Axelsson (RAX) *

Sigfús Eymundsson Sigfús Eymundsson (1837–1911) was an Icelandic photographer and bookseller. He practiced bookbinding from a young age and in 1857 he went to Copenhagen to study the profession. In 1861 he went to Norway where he studied photography. He then ...

(1837–1911) * Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir (born 1978)

Architects

Guðjón Samúelsson Guðjón Samúelsson (16 April 1887 – 25 April 1950) was a State Architect of Iceland, and the first Icelander to be educated in architecture. He's been described as one of Iceland's most influential architects. His notable designs include the ...

(1887–1950) *

Gísli Halldórsson Gísli Halldórsson (2 February 1927 – 27 July 1998) was an Icelandic actor of theatre, radio, film and television, and one of the most popular Icelandic actors of the late twentieth century. He is known internationally for playing the lead r ...

(1914–1998)

Actors

Anita Briem Anita Briem (born 29 May 1982) is an Icelandic actress. She is known for her role as Queen Jane Seymour on ''The Tudors'' and her role as Hannah Ásgeirsson in ''Journey to the Center of the Earth''. Personal life Briem was born on 29 May 1982 ...

Baltasar Kormákur Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson (born 27 February 1966) is an Icelandic actor, theater and film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the films ''101 Reykjavík'', '' The Sea'', ''A Little Trip to Heaven'', '' Contraband'' ...

Edda Björgvinsdóttir Guðbjörg Edda Björgvinsdóttir (born 13 September 1952), better known as Edda Björgvinsdóttir, is an Icelandic actress, comedian, writer, director and motivational speaker. She is best known for playing the title role of the 1986 comedy c ...

Heida Reed Heiða Rún Sigurðardóttir known by her stage name Heida Reed (; born 22 May 1988), is an Icelandic actress and model. She is known for playing parts in '' One Day'', '' Jo'' (2013), '' Silent Witness'' (2014) and the BBC drama ''Poldark''. She ...

* Hera Hilmar *

Hilmir Snær Guðnason Hilmir Snær Guðnason (born 24 January 1969, in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic actor and voice actor. He is famous in his native country and has appeared in both film and on stage. In 2000 he was named as one of European films 'Shooting Stars' by ...

* Ingvar E. Sigurðsson *

Magnús Scheving Magnús Örn Scheving (; born 10 November 1964) is an Icelandic writer, entrepreneur, television producer, actor and athlete. He is the creator, director, and star of the children's television show '' LazyTown'', in which he also portrayed th ...

Stefán Karl Stefánsson Stefán Karl Stefánsson (; ; 10 July 1975 – 21 August 2018) was an Icelandic actor and singer. He was best known for portraying Robbie Rotten, the antagonist of the children's television series '' LazyTown''. Career Stefán Karl's career s ...

* Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir *

Tómas Lemarquis Tómas Lemarquis (born 3 August 1977) is an Icelandic– French actor. Early life Lemarquis was born in Reykjavík, the son of an Icelandic mother and a French father, Gérard Lemarquis, who is a schoolteacher. His most distinguishing physical ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Icelandic Artists Icelandic

Artists An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, the ...

Icelandic artists