Exhibition: 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.