Overview

Eggert Pétursson's sole focus is Icelandic flora. With dizzying effect, Pétursson's unique paintings of Iceland's seemingly barren landscape's minute tundra flowers reveal the universe within. At first glance, his paintings appear abstract, but closer inspection reveals them to be hyper-realistic. Each petal, stem, and leaf is created by an infinite regression of painstaking brush detail, captivating the viewer with a stunning composition of brush strokes in intricate colour combinations. The works range from detailed, realistic depictions of plants to a more abstract use of the medium, with layers of paint building up the image to a relief quality. Pétursson has earned a reputation as one of Iceland‘s most beloved landscape and lyrical artists due to his unwavering dedication and close ties to local traditions.

 

Eggert Pétursson (b. 1956, Iceland) lives and works in Reykjavik, Iceland. He studied at the Icelandic College of Art and Crafts, Reykjavik, and the Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht. The artist has exhibited at The Living Art Museum, Reykjavik Art Museum, Museum Fodor, Amsterdam and Pori Art Museum, Finland. Pétursson received the second prize of the Carnegie Art Award 2006 (Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Reykjavik, Copenhagen and Nice).

Works
Video
Exhibitions
Public Exhibitions
Biography

b. 1956 in Reykjavik

Lives and works in Reykjavík

 

EDUCATION

 

1979 – 1981

Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, The Netherlands

 

1976 – 1979

The Icelandic School of Art and Crafts, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

1974 – 1978 The Reykjavík Art School, Reykjavík, Iceland

 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

 

2024

Garden Flora, Reykjavik Botanic Garden, Reykjavik, Iceland 

 

2017

i8 Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

2016

Flora, Porin taidemuseo/Pori Art Museum, Pori, Finland

 

2013 

1. h.v., with Carl Boutard, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

2012 

i8 Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

2003

Blómróf, Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri, Iceland

 

2001

i8 Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

 

2023

Kaleidoscope: Icelandic 21st Century Art, Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland

Kathy Butterly / Eggert Pétursson, i8 Gallery, Reykjavik

 

2022

Are you glad if you can ask something?, LÁ Art Museum, Hveragerði, Iceland

 

2021

Eternal Recurrence, Kjarvalsstaðir, Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland

 

2020

The Wildflower, Hafnarborg - Center of Culture and Fine Art, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland

 

2019

Nordic Impressions - Contemporary Art from Åland, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway & Sweden,  ASF + Scandinavia House, New York, USA

 

2017

List Officinalis, Nesstofa, Seltjarnarnes, Iceland

 

2016

Eggert Pétursson & Ingólfur Arnarsson, Gallerí Gestur, Reykjavik, Iceland

Gengið í björg with Helga Þorgils Friðjónssonar, Listasafni ASÍ, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

2015

Just Painted II, Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

2014

i8 Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland

Ákall, Listasafn Árnesinga, Hveragerði, Iceland

Iceland: Artists Respond to Place, The Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY, USA

Iceland: Artists Respond to Place, Scandinavia House, New York, NY, USA

 

2012 

Tileinkun, The Golden Brush, Safn, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

BOOKWORKS

 

what we had in mind, with Carl Boutard, 1. h.v., Reykjavik 2013

Flora Islandica, Crymogea, Reykjavik 2008

No title, j9 in collaboration with i8 Gallery, Reykjavik 2007

Tvær bækur, with Ingólfur Arnarsson, Hong Kong Press, Gothenburg 1987

No title, Reykjavik 1987

No title, Maastricht 1981

what I had in mind, Maastricht 1980

Passing-Bells, Maastricht 1980

Smáhlutir, Reykjavik 1978

Samstarf, with Ingólfur Arnarsson, Reykjavik 1978

 

AWARDS

 

Order of the Falcon 2013

Carnegie Art Award 2006, 2nd prize.

 

COLLECTIONS

 

Albright Knox, Buffalo, USA

The National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavík

The Reykjavík Municipal Collection, Reykjavík

The Kópavogur Art Collection, Kópavogur

The University of Iceland Art Collection, Reykjavík 

The Living Art Museum, Reykjavík

The Landsbanki Collection, Reykjavík

Safn, Reykjavik

Sammlung Goetz, Munich

EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Saastamoinen Collection, Espoo

Sara Hildén Art Museum, Tampere

and private collections in Iceland and elsewhere

Pori Art Museum

 

ILLUSTRATIONS

 

Pöddur, Landvernd, Reykjavík 1989

Íslandseldar, Vaka – Helgafell, Reykjavík 1986

Fjörulíf, Ferdafélag Íslands, Reykjavík 1986

Flóra Íslands, veggspjald Hins íslenska náttúrufrædifélags, Reykjavík 1985 and 1996

Íslensk Flóra med litmyndum, Idunn, Reykjavík 1983 and Forlagid, Reykjavík 1994

 

OTHER

 

Ljósberi, necklace made in collaboration with Sif Jakobs, Leonard, Reykjavík 2013

Smjörgras, necklace made in collaboration with Sif Jakobs, Leonard, Reykjavík 2011

Sóldögg, necklace made in collaboration with Sif Jakobs, Leonard, Reykjavík 2010

Blálilja, necklace made in collaboration with Sif Jakobs, Leonard, Reykjavík 2009

Hjartarfi, necklace made in collaboration with Sif Jakobs, Leonard, Reykjavík 2008

Circle, The Globe of Good Will 2007, The Benefit Society for Children with Disabilities, Reykjavík 2007

Bibliography

Eggert Pétursson - Paintings / Málverk, Crymogea, Reykjavik 2012

Calender for 2012, Landssamtökin Throskahjálp, Reykjavík 2011

Moldarljós, CD with music by Haukur Tómasson, Eyja, Reykjavík 2011

Flowerland, Crymogea with Nordatlantens Brygge, Reykjavík/Copenhagen 2009

Icelandic Art Today, Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern 2009

Eggert Pétursson, The Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík 2007

Blomsterspråk, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2007

Indigo, The Golden Brush, The Kópavogur Art Museum, Kópavogur 2007

11years, A Decade of Contemporary Art, i8/Háskólaútgáfan, Reykjavík 2006

Carnegie Art Award 2006, Stockholm 2005

Floral Spectrums, The Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri 2003

Carnegie Art Award 2004, Stockholm 2003

i8, Reykjavík 2003

Gullpensillinn, The Reykjanes Art Museum, Keflavík 2002

Iceland Japan Contemporary Art Exhibition, 0 Art Museum, Tokyo 2001

i8, Reykjavík 2001

Gullpensillinn, Kjarvalsstadir – The Reykjavík Municipal Museum, Reykjavík 2001

Pensillinn gullni, Gullpensillinn – félag listmálara, Reykjavík 1999

Lífædar, Art.is, Reykjavík  1999

Homages to Beauty, Gerdarsafn – The Kópavogur Art Museum, Kópavogur 1997

Views of Icelandic Nature, Kjarvalsstadir – The Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík 1996

Hyperfoto 1/95, Oslo 1995

A Wollemi Pine, Gerdarsafn – The Kópavogur Art Museum, Kópavogur 1995

Inter Nos, The Nordic Arts Center, Sveaborg, Finland 1992

Exhibition Catalogue, The Nordic House, Reykjavík 1990

Aurora 2, The Nordic Arts Center, Sveaborg, Finland 1987

KEX, Reykjavík, Stockholm, Oslo 1987

Treffen im Gebirge, The artists in collaboration with Seedorn Verlag, Zürich 1984

Iceland: The Art Revealed, Franklin Furnace, New York 1984

Thingummy, MOB-shop in collaboration with Kalejdoskop, Ahus, Sweden 1983

Thick Air, Museum Fodor, Amsterdam 1983

Amsterdam – Reykjavík, Across the Meridian, Museum Fodor, Amsterdam 1983

Chinese Intervals, Sondern 6, Seedorn Verlag, Zürich 1983

Iceland, Zona/Gallerí Sudurgata 7, Reykjavík 1979

Summer Music, (LP), Dieter Roth Verlag, Stuttgart 1979

Eight Notational Sketches, (cassette), Reykjavík 1979

Art Fairs