Jónas Viðar Sveinsson (1962-2013) studied at Akureyri School of Visual Arts 1983-1987 and further at Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara in Italy 1990- 1994, where he graduated with the highest marks. After his studies Jónas Viðar moved back to Akureyri where he had a studio in Art-Street and ran Jónas Viðar Gallery for a few years, in what is now Gallery Mjólkurbúðin – Akureyri Art Association.

Sveinsson was an active artist, exhibited his work often alongside teaching at Akureyri School of Visual Arts and even ran his own art school. He later moved to Reykjavík and kept on creating art and running Jónas Viðar Gallery on Laugavegur. He held over 40 solo exhibitions in Iceland and abroad and participated in numerous group exhibitions.

Mountains, islands, and lakes are prominent in Sveinsons’s paintings, and the human body, in his older works.