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.
Eiríkur studied art at the Painting and Drawing School of Finnur Jónsson and Jóhann Briem, as well as at the Icelandic School of Arts and Crafts. Thereafter, he also studied drawing at the Private School of Peter Rostrup-Bøyesen in Copenhagen and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. This year marks one hundred years since Eiríkur’s birth and, to mark the occasion, selected works from across his career are presented, along with early drawings from his student years in Copenhagen and Paris.
Eiríkur left behind an extensive body of work. More than 400 pieces are preserved in the collection of Hafnarborg, following a generous gift of artworks made by the artist in 1990. Since then, the collection has steadily grown with the aim of maintaining a representative selection that offers a clear overview of the artist’s life and work.
Curated by Aldís Arnardóttir.