List of Icelandic artists

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Art has existed in Iceland 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.

1 Painters
2 Contemporary Artists
3 Sculptors
4 Photographers
5 Architects
6 Musicians

[edit] Painters

The most important motifs for painters were the nature of their home country and the human being. But they also used supernatural themes.

Some of the most important painters are:

Sigurdur Gudmundsson (1833 - 1874)
Ásgrímur Jónsson (1876 - 1958)
Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885 - 1972)
Þórarinn Þorláksson (1867 - 1924)
Jón Stefánsson (1881 - 1962)
Kristín Jónsdóttir (1888-1959)
Guðmundur Þorsteinsson (1891 - 1924)
Gunnlaugur Scheving (1904 - 1972)
Torvaldur Skúlason (1906-1984)
Svavar Guðnason (1909 - 1988)
Nína Tryggvadóttir (1913 - 1968)
Louisa Matthíasdóttir (1917 - 2000)
Kristján Davíðsson (born 1917)
Erró (Guðmundur Guðmundson, born 1932)
Erla Magna Alexandersdóttir (born 1936)
Halldór Ásgeirson (born 1956)
Helgi Þorgils Friðjónsson
Finnur Jónsson
Einar Hákonarson (born 1945)
Sigurður Árni Sigurðsson (born 1963)
Georg Guðni (born 1961)
Jón Óskar (born 1954)
Erla Þórarinsdóttir (born 1955)
Ólafur Lárusson (born 1951)

[edit] Contemporary Artists

Around 1960 the Swiss-German artist Dieter Roth moved to Iceland. His engament with the Icelandic art scene was of great importance in introducing movements such as Conceptual Art, Fluxus, Happenings, Body Art, Life Art and Social Sculpture, which since have formed a basis for Icelandic Contemporary Art.

Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson (born 1970 and 1973)
Unnar Örn Auðarson Jónasson (born 1974)
Ásmundur Ásmundsson (born 1971)

[edit] Sculptors

It was not until the 19th century that Icelandic artists began to create sculpture. Until then, there had not been enough usable material. The stones found in Iceland itself were normally rather brittle.

Some of the most famous sculptors are: