Hildur Henrýsdóttir

Statement

Hildur Ása Henrýsdóttir (b. 1987) grew up in Þórshöfn in the Langanes peninsula in northeast Iceland. In 2012, she obtained a BA in Modern Studies from the University of Akureyri. She graduated from the Fine Art department of the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2016. She lives and works in Berlin, Reykjavík and Þórshöfn.

Her practice gives an honest insight into the feminine world, deconstructing the idea of perfection and exploring the personal connections humans establish with their bodies and emotions. Hildur’s work depicts intimate moments free of taboos, embracing imperfection and blurring the line between what is meant to remain personal and what is socially acceptable to reveal in public. In most of her works, she portrays herself, exploring nudity and vulnerability, while undertaking an introspective journey into the relationships between her inner self, her own body, and the others.

Hildur’s works are personal, as she uses her own narrative and body, obscuring the frontier between fictional and autobiographical elements. By putting herself in the foreground in the artworks, she simultaneously provokes and suppresses the male gaze that tries to mold and regulate the female body. The manner the artist portrays her body makes the viewer uncomfortable, as she does not hesitate to place it in a grotesque context, thus regaining the authority over herself and the depiction of the female nude.

GlogauAIR Project

At GlogauAIR I want to further develop my autobiographical works and focus on the narrative in my paintings and go deeper in technical skills as well. My works are personal, as I use my own narrative and image, obscuring the frontier between fictional and autobiographical elements. By putting myself in the foreground in the artworks, I aim to simultaneously provoke and suppress the male gaze that tries to mold and regulate the female body. The manner I portray myself may make the viewer uncomfortable, as I do not hesitate to place myself in a grotesque context, thus regaining authority over myself and the depiction of the female nude.

Painting, Perfomance, and Sculpture

CV Summary

Education

• 2016 BA Fine Art, Iceland Academy of the Arts.
• 2015 Royal Academy of Art, Den Haag/Koninklijke. Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, exchange.
• 2012 BA Modern Studies, University of Akureyri.
• 2008 Preparatory Studies in Fine Art, Akureyri School of Visual Arts.

Solo exhibitions

• 2023 Hamskipti/Transformation, Einar Jónsson Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland. Curated by Linda Toivio.
• 2022 Running up that Hild, Backhaus Projects, Berlin, Germany. Curated by Linda Toivio.
• 2022 Chrysalis, Hosek Contemporary, Berlin, Germany. Curated by Linda Toivio.
• 2022 Marga hildi háð, Gallery Port, Reykjavík. Curated by Linda Toivio.
• 2021 Svo þú Hildur það?, Berg Cultural house in Dalvík, Iceland.
• 2019 Með böggum hildar, Kaktus, Akureyri, Iceland.
• 2019 Hamur / Skin, Listasalur Mosfellsbæjar, Mosfellsbær, Iceland. Curated by Inga Björk Margrétar Bjarnadóttir
• 2018 Óttalegur kjáni get ég verið / What a fool I have been, SIM Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland.
• 2018 ég varð bara óvart fokking ástfangin / I accidentally fell in fucking love, IPA gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland. Curated by Birkir Karlsson.
• 2016 Aftengd / Disconnected, Ekkisens Art space, Reykjavík, Iceland.
• 2014 Langanes er ekki ljótur tangi, Hafliðabúð, Þórshöfn, Iceland.

Selected group exhibitions

• 2023 Dedication, Reykjanes Art Museum, Iceland.
• 2023 Terminal X, Litla Gallerý, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland.
• 2023 Public Private. Newwave Space, Reykjavík, Iceland.
• 2022 Funny People, Online exhibition curated by Amanda Poorvu. Funny People
• 2021 Endurheimt(a)/Reclaim(ing), Listasalur Mosfellsbæjar, Mosfellsbær, Iceland.
• 2020 Berskjölduð / Unarmed, Listasafn Reykjanesbæjar. Reykjanesbær, Iceland.
• 2019 Ágústkvöld / pod koniec sierpnia, Gerðasafn og Midpunkt, Kópavogur, Iceland.
• 2018 These are The Islands in Bygone Seas, with Wiola Anna Ujazdowska. Listastofan, Reykjavik, Iceland.
• 2018 Röstin residency group exhibition, Sauðaneshús, Þórshöfn, Iceland.
• 2017 ABC Lounge Klub, ABC Klubhuis, Antwerp, Belgium.
• 2017 Femfest, Ugly Duck, London, Britain.
• 2017 Plan B Artfestival, Borgarnes, Iceland.
• 2017 Sumar/Summer, Akureyri Art museum, Iceland.
• 2015 Kynleikar, Ekkisens / Ráðhús Reykjavíkur / Tjarnarbíó, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Gallery