Thursday May 29th at 2 p.m., we warmly welcome you to the opening of two new exhibitions at Hafnarborg. This time, we present Of Substance and Essence, which looks back on the long and diverse career of the artist Eiríkur Smith, and An Ode to Colours, featuring late works by Sveinn Björnsson, created with great passion and vibrant colour, in the museum’s lower gallery.
The exhibitions are held to mark what would have been the centenary of both artists, had they lived to see it.
Eiríkur Smith: Of Substance and Essence
The career of Eiríkur Smith (1925-2016) was both long and diverse. He approached painting as a form of expression and left behind a body of work that reveals a remarkable command of subjects as different as geometric abstraction, expressive abstract painting and realist imagery. The human figure is often placed in the foreground while the land and the works of humankind create a powerful setting. Over time, his approach changed considerably, in step with the spirit of the times, but also because the artist deliberately sought new directions.
Eiríkur’s artistic journey can be likened to a pendulum that swings between two poles. He drew inspiration both from the subjective and the objective and in the later stages of his career there are periods in which he moves between the two. In these works, one senses the artist’s reconciliation with the idea that life is best lived in balance, in a state of harmony that is both of substance and essence. Curated by Aldís Arnardóttir, the exhibition presents select works from across Eiríkur’s career, alongside early drawings from his student years in Copenhagen and Paris.
Sveinn Björnsson: An Ode to Colours
Sveinn Björnsson (1925–1997) was a prolific artist who lived most of his life in Hafnarfjörður. Sveinn primarily worked with paintings but also created drawings, collages and ceramic works. The works in this exhibition are all from the last period of his career when he devoted himself entirely to abstract oil painting, where colour became both his subject and source of inspiration.
Here, the interplay of pure and strong colours is revealed in dynamic strokes, where hues blend to form new tones. Sveinn had a deep connection to nature and his studio in Krýsuvík became a sanctuary, where the colours of the land and sky were a constant source of inspiration. Sveinn was educated at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen and his works have been exhibited widely, both in Iceland and Denmark. Many of his works are held in public collections, including a large mosaic at the Suðurbæjarlaug swimming pool in Hafnarfjörður.
Free entry – see you at Hafnarborg.