Shoplifter (real name Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir) is a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based contemporary artist who works with synthetic and natural hair. When Arnardóttir moved to New York in 1994, her birth name was mispronounced as Shoplifter and she has gone by that name ever since. Shoplifter is known for her sculptures, wall murals, and site-specific installations and has shown her work worldwide and collaborated with artists from various countries. In 2004, she collaborated with musician

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

and created the hair mask for the cover of her album ''

Medúlla ''Medúlla'' is the fifth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 30 August 2004 in the United Kingdom by One Little Independent Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. After the release of her ...

''. In 2008, she worked in collaboration with Aimez Vous Avec Ferveur to create a large-scale window installation at

MoMA The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

. Shoplifter represented

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

La Biennale di Venezia The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Architecture Biennale (), which are held in alternating ye ...

in 2019 with her installation Chromo Sapiens.

Early life and influences

Shoplifter was born in Reykjavik, Iceland. At an early age, she was introduced to the art of hair by her grandmother, who stored one of her cut-off braids in her bedroom drawer. She works with hair in various ways, creating multi-colored structures. Shoplifter has a background in painting and works within the spaces of art, design, and fashion. She has collaborated with brands such as

Moncler Moncler S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion brand specialized in ready-to-wear outerwear headquartered in Milan, Italy. Its core branding includes the Rooster#Terminology, cockerel, "M" monogram, felt appliqué badge, crossed skis and cartoon duc ...

Comme des Garçons Comme des Garçons (CDG, ) is a Japanese fashion label, founded by Rei Kawakubo in 1969. It is based in Paris, where its flagship store is located. Other than fashion, the label has expanded to include jewelry and perfume (under the brand Comme ...

, & Other Stories, and HAY. Shoplifter completed her BFA at the Icelandic College of Art and Crafts in Iceland and her MFA at the

School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by Silas ...

in New York City.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shoplifter Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century Icelandic women artists 21st-century Icelandic women artists Icelandic contemporary artists Icelandic expatriates in the United States Icelandic sculptors Icelandic women sculptors Muralists Artists from Reykjavík School of Visual Arts alumni Women installation artists Women muralists