Exhibitions Opening – Ásgerður Búadóttir: Facets of Life and Kjarval: From Abroad

Opening of the exhibitions Ásgerður Búadóttir: Facets of Life and Jóhannes S. Kjarval: From Abroad at Kjarvalsstaðir.

Ásgerður Búadóttir (1920-2014) was a pioneer of woven art in Iceland, her work combines ancient craft techniques and the independent creation of modern art. Ásgerður mainly worked with Icelandic wool and during the 1970s her magnificent tapestries drew well-deserved attention for their original use of material, where wool and horsehair create a whole, with a rich materiality.

Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885-1972) is one of Iceland’s most revered artists, his paintings and interpretations of Icelandic nature are pivotal in the history of culture and art in the country. Lava, moss, rivers and mountains around the country were a constant source of inspiration for him to create new work, he is said to have drawn people’s attention to new aspects of Icelandic nature. In spite of Kjarval’s unswerving connection to the landscape in Iceland, he also travelled widely and painted abroad. He studied in Denmark and spent time in London, Italy and France. He was very interested in getting to know key works in international cultural history first-hand and learning latest trends in contemporary art.