Eiríkur Smith (1925–2016) grew up in Straumur at Straumsvík, but his family moved to Hafnarfjörður in 1931, where Eiríkur lived for nearly his entire life. He showed an early talent for drawing, which his teachers encouraged him to cultivate. Eiríkur started working at a young age but pursued art simultaneously, attending courses and exhibiting his work. In 1946, he began his studies at the Icelandic School of Arts and Crafts and held his first exhibition two years later at the Independence House (Sjálfstæðishúsið) in Hafnarfjörður. He also studied art in Copenhagen and Paris and learned printmaking at the Technical College in Hafnarfjörður.

Hafnarborg was inaugurated with a solo exhibition by Eiríkur in 1988, where 33 oil paintings and an equal number of watercolors were displayed. The theme of his exhibition was the relationship between humanity and nature, as well as the forces that lie beyond human understanding.

Eiríkur gave Hafnarborg a significant collection of his work, 341 pieces in total: 115 paintings and 226 works on paper—such as watercolors, pastels, and drawings—that span his entire career. The gift was a major boost for the Hafnarborg collection, and the museum has since conducted research on his career and mounted exhibitions that showcase the diverse career of this prolific and significant artist.

Eiríkur was awarded the Order of the Falcon (Fálkaorðan) in 2005 for his contributions to the visual arts. On June 1, 2008, the 100th anniversary of the township of Hafnarfjörður, he was named Hafnarfjörður’s Honorary Artist. His contribution to the arts in the town is invaluable and has left a lasting mark on the cultural life of Hafnarfjörður.