Saemundur Valdimarsson - private exhibition

A private exhibition of the artist Saemundur Valdimarsson which has become famous for his figures made out of driftwood.
Saemundur was born in 1918 at Kross, Bardarstrond where he lived until adulthood.  In addition to working on the farm he did various other jobs on land and at sea.  In 1948 he moved to Reykjavik where he was employed on shift work at the Gufunes fertiliser factory.  Since 1988 he has practised his art full time. In 1970, he began to create images from rocks and driftwood; these were first exhibited at the SUM gallery in 1974, as part of an exhibition of naive art.  At about that time, he began to work on larger driftwood sculptures. Saemundur held his first one-man show in 1983.

Saemundur Valdimarsson - a private exhibition Introduction

The exhibition of the works of Sæmundur Valdimarsson in the Reykjavik Art Museum  Kjarvalsstaðir at this time is a special celebration for many reasons. The artist just celebrated his 85th birthday, there are thirty years since he held his first private exhibition, and ten years from his last exhibition at Kjarvalsstaðir.

It is no secret why the sculptures by Sæmundur have been so popular from the first time they were exhibited. The multitude of personalities that the artist has brought out of the driftwood from the forests of Siberia become personal friends to all that see them, a part of the family where they live and show all those that are introduced to them the way to the three sisters of joy, hope and love.

These characteristics of Sæmundur Valdimarssons sculptures are catching, and it is certain that all who spend some time among them at Kjarvalsstaðir will leave the museum in a lighter mood than before and with a spring in their step.

Eiríkur Þorláksson,
Director of The Reykjavik Art Museum.