Kjarval in the East

Kjarval in the East is an exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Iceland, in cooperation with Skaftfell Art Center, a regional center for visual arts in East Iceland. The exhibition features landscape paintings from East Iceland by Jóhannes S. Kjarval (1885-1972), most of which are from the collection of the National Gallery of Iceland. 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. The works in the exhibition span the period from 1919 to 1960, including oil paintings as well as watercolour and graphic images. Some of the works depict views of recognizable places, such as Dyrfjöll and Strandatindur in Seyðisfjörður, while others refer to popular beliefs and display the artist's imagination and experimental approach in terms of style and techniques.

 Jóhannes S. Kjarval 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.

 Kjarval took a liberal stylistic approach and adopted various styles depending upon what his subjects invited. He was influenced by Symbolism early on and later also by Cubism with rectangular or geometric basic forms making an early appearance in his work and emerging in his landscapes throughout his career, especially in his depictions of lava formations.

 The content of Kjarval’s symbolism was rooted in Icelandic folklore and he often personified various elemental beings in such works. During his childhood in Borgarfjörður eystri, Kjarval’s imagination was fueled by place names and tales about elves and hidden people and their exchange with humans. The Elfin Rock in Borgarfjörður eystri 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.