With this exhibition, The Little Gallery pays homage to an aging artist who will soon be celebrating her 98th birthday. Sigrún Guðjónsdóttir, known as Rúna, was born here in Hafnarfjörður on November 15th 1926, daughter of school principal Guðjón Guðjónsson and author Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir.

Rúna’s artistic abilities became evident at a young age. She began drawing as soon as she could hold a pencil and from the age of 13 she would venture out to draw and paint from nature. She began her studies at the School of Arts and Crafts in Reykjavík at the age of 15. A year later, a young man named Gestur Þorgrímsson entered the school, and the young people soon became an item. After their studies at the Reykjavík school, they both gained entry to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, where she studied painting and he sculpting. The young couple returned to Iceland in 1947 with their firstborn child, and started the ceramic studio Laugarnesleir along with artist friends.

Caring and providing for a family of four children required time and energy, but pencil and paper were always within Rúna’s grasp, the urge to create never diminished. After the days of Laugarnesleir studio, Rúna began to illustrate books, and later the couple again turned to work in ceramics. They also created several large works of architectural ornamentation together. Although their cooperation was close and extensive through the years, they also developed as individual artists.

During her long career as an artist, Rúna worked in many areas; illustration and graphic design, ceramics and design for ceramic production, painting and drawing, large wall decorations. In this exhibition, Rúna wanted to emphasise the diversity of her artistic production, and not least her work in illustration. In the examples shown, a development can be seen from the fine brush-line of decoration to the beginning of the special print-technique that was to become prominent in her later work as a painter. On exhibit here are also originals of some of the ceramic designs that went into production abroad.

Both materials and intention for use obviously shape Rúna’s artistic work, but clear character traits are evident: the feminine organic forms, whether the work is abstract or representational, the line is always strong and elegant in its playfulness, the colours are most often vibrant but delicate tonal hues. The public is best aquainted with her paintings on handmade Japanese paper and ceramic tiles. Rúna gave many of the largest exhibitions of her work after she had reached the age where most people think of retirement - her last solo exhibition was to celebrate her 90th birthday and consisted of paintings made in the previous two years.

Age naturally takes its toll, and by now Rúna’s eyesight has weakened to such an extent that she can no longer read or write. However, as Christmas draws near, she still takes out her box of pastels and her pens. For many years, all gifts to family have been decorated with hand-made gift-tags, miniature works of art. Some of the ones here on display are made in the past weeks. The artist’s sense of colour has not diminished, she chooses bright hues that dance in perfect harmony. The line still flows from the pen with amazing strength - the hand remembers, the flow is unbroken.

Rúna was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon in 2014. She was Hafnarfjörður's town artist in 2005 and in 2023 she became an honorary recipient of Iceland's design award.

Exhibition opening is November 7th from 18:00-20:00 and all are welcome!

Other opening hours:

Friday 8th November 13:00 - 18:00

Saturday 9th November 12:00 - 17:00

Sunday 10th November 14:00 - 17:00

The event is sponsored by the Culture and Tourism Committee of Hafnarfjordur.