Gerður Helgadóttir

The sculpture by Gerður Helgadóttir could be a subterranean creature, being adapted for life Subterrain or just as well an excerpt from the deep levels of the ground, formed over hundreds of years. The sculpture is actually a lamp that can be switched on and which shows the light in the surrounding darkness.

Gerður Helgadóttir (b. 1928, d. 1975) was a pioneer of abstract sculpture in Iceland and created works in iron, bronze, clay, concrete, stained glass and mosaic. She was the first Icelandic artist to study in Florence in 1947 at the sculpture department at Accademia di Belle Arti and afterwards in Paris at Académie de la Grande Chaumière. Gerður quickly adapted and absorbed the creative trends of her surroundings in Paris where she lived through her career. Her works evolved continuously throughout her career, often shaped by her various interests.