More North is pleased to present new work by Icelandic painter Hjörtur Hjartarson. This exhibition began as a collaborative two-man exhibition with Icelandic artist Hildur Jónsson, and was exhibited Summer 2009 at More North. The show introduced over twenty canvases whose nontraditional, abstract landscapes evoke the rich and varied scenery of these artists’ native land.

Due to an overwhelmingly positive response to Mr. Hjartarson’s pieces in this exhibition, we are extending his portion of the exhibition, as well as adding new works beginning October 6.

Hjörtur Hjartarson was born in Reykjavík, Iceland in 1961, which is also where he resides and works. He began his career as a carpenter and builder, later receiving an education in art at MHÍ fjöltæknideild and the University of Granada, Spain. The artist has participated in several group and private exhibitions in Spain, Norway, and Iceland, including Gallerí Gulp, Gallerí 39, and Gallerí Greip, as well as NIFCA (The Nordic Institute for Contemporary Art) in Hafnarborg.

Hjartarson’s series shown in “Evoking Iceland” deals with the different climates of Reykjavík and New York, a city that has long fascinated the artist. “My relationship with New York goes way back,” he reveals. “My father used to sail there and told me stories about the city, and when I grew older I went. New York inspires me because it is like a central station in many ways: art, food, people, business… very colorful. You can find everything in New York, from nature to hard, cold buildings. The intake of information just walking down the street is overwhelming (in a good sense!).”