ACADEMIC ROOTS & ARTISTIC FORMATION
Born in Reykjavík in 1940, Björg studied at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts, graduating in 1964. She continued her studies at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart, and from 1971 to 1973, she studied engraving with S.W. Hayter at Atelier 17 and lithography at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
A CAREER ACROSS MEDIA AND CONTINENTS
From the early 1970s, Björg held over thirty solo exhibitions in Iceland and internationally, beginning with her first show at Unuhús, Reykjavík in 1971. She explored printmaking, watercolours, drawing, and painting—shaping a diverse visual language informed by experimentation, intuition, and formal precision.
Significant works include her abstract watercolours such as Bárur (2003), held in the National Gallery of Iceland, and acrylic paintings like Over Sea and Land II (1995), which explore motifs of threads, knots, and ethereal space with striking color contrast and compositional complexity.
RECOGNITION & CULTURAL IMPACT
Björg received numerous grants and prizes, including a French government scholarship (1971–1973) and awards at international print exhibitions in Entrevaux (France, 1970), Madrid (1976), and for watercolors in Plunge, Lithuania (2004).
Her work has been acquired by major institutions worldwide: Bibliothèque Nationale (Paris), Musée des Beaux-Arts (Caen), Museo Nacional de Grabado Contemporáneo (Madrid), and museums in Skopje, Poland, and Egypt. She also played a vital role in the Icelandic art community, serving on boards such as the Icelandic Printmakers Association, the Association of Icelandic Visual Artists, and directing the Ásgrímur Jónsson Museum (1980–84)
ARTISTIC LEGACY: THE FORMS AND THEMES
Björg’s visual vocabulary reflects her deep interest in transformation—technological, natural, and psychic. Her prints and paintings often evoke floating formations, crystalline shapes, and abstract knots suspended in glowing atmospheres, suggesting cosmic tensions and material interplay.
Her creative practice was grounded in a belief in art’s social dimension; she taught at key institutions in Reykjavík and contributed actively to curatorial and administrative efforts. She continued producing original work until the end of her life, leaving behind a body of art defined by intellectual rigor and poetic subtlety.
As a gallery deeply committed to Nordic art, we hold Björg Thorsteinsdóttir’s work in high esteem—not only for its formal beauty but for its resonance within broader conversations about abstraction, materiality, and the intersection of tradition and innovation. Her works possess a quiet but insistent presence—drawing attention to light, structure, and the unexpected poetry hidden within the everyday.
