Kjarval in the East

Featuring landscapes, portraits and fantastical work by Jóhannes S. Kjarval (1885-1972), the exhibition Kjarval in the East highlights the artist’s intimate relationship with East Iceland. The works in the exhibition span the period from 1914 to 1961, including oil paintings, watercolours, lithographs and ink drawings. Kjarval grew up in Borgarfjörður eystri and he often travelled there in his adult years, drawing inspiration for his works from the majestic landscape of East Iceland. Some of the works depict views of recognizable places, such as Dyrfjöll and Álfaborg in Borgarfjörður eystri, while others refer to popular beliefs and display the artist's imagination. During his childhood in Borgarfjörður, Kjarval’s imagination was fuelled by place names and tales about elves

and hidden people and their exchange with humans. The Elfin Rock in Borgarfjörður and elfin rocks of a more subjective kind appear in many of the works in the exhibition, thus reflecting how the landscape and culture of East Iceland contributed to the formation of Kjarval’s distinctive pictorial world.

Kjarval’s portrait drawings of people in Borgarfjörður eystri and the surrounding area testify to his insight, sensibility, and attentiveness to the subject. In works that often portray weather-beaten faces, moulded by a demanding struggle for survival, the co-existence of humans and nature is highlighted in a unique manner. The juxtaposition of portraits, landscapes, as well as subjective fantasies where Kjarval seems to venture into hidden realms, offers insight into the artist’s profound connection with the land, and his capacious exploration of the living reality of nature.

Most of the works in the exhibition are held by the National Gallery of Iceland, many of them from the collection of Þorvaldur Guðmundsson and Ingibjörg Guðmundsdóttir. Additional works have been kindly loaned from private and public collections. Kjarval in the East, an exhibition featuring Kjarval’s landscapes, was opened at Skaftfell Art Center in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland, in June 2025 as part of the National Gallery’s collaboration with exhibition venues outside of the capital area.

Jóhannes S. Kjarval (1885-1972) was one of the pioneers of Icelandic modern art. It is often said that this beloved artist helped his fellow Icelanders recognize the distinct beauty of the country, in particular the beauty that may be found at each footstep. Kjarval studied at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen from 1913–1917 and stayed in Denmark until 1922 when he moved to Iceland with his family. He also resided for short periods in England, Italy and France.