Jónína Björg Helgadóttir opens her exhibition “In a World of My Own” at Safnahúsið in Húsavík on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 2:00 PM. Light refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome!
About the Exhibition
“I was one of those people who was always in a world of my own. Always with my nose down by the shore or exploring the heath, perfectly content in my own company. Nature became the landscape of my mind – the backdrop to my subconscious.
The smell of seaweed and moss surrounded everything, and nature, with all its intense colours, strange little details and fascinating forms, became a part of me.
When I paint, it feels as though my subconscious is being printed onto the canvas. And there is the woman. I am her. You are her. She expresses our human emotions. Among stones, seaweed and nature – sometimes tangible, sometimes elusive – there is the freedom simply to be.”
— Jónína Björg
In recent years, Jónína has held several solo exhibitions featuring paintings and graphic works exploring seaweed, the shoreline and the female figure. Forms have emerged and evolved, while the woman has gradually retreated further into the background. In her most recent works, she has disappeared altogether.
As for what comes next, Jónína offers no clues. It will reveal itself when the time comes – she knows no more than the rest of us what her subconscious will have to say next.
About the Artist
Jónína Björg Helgadóttir, born in 1989, is a visual artist who lives and works in Akureyri. She graduated from the Fine Art Department of the Akureyri School of Visual Arts in 2015 and has since held ten solo exhibitions in Iceland and Canada. In a World of My Own is her eleventh solo exhibition.
She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including exhibitions in Denmark and at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Jónína was one of the founders of the Kaktus art space and has worked as a project manager for creative projects in Akureyri. Until recently, she also ran Majó – Food and Culture, a restaurant and cultural venue in Laxdalshús, Akureyri's oldest house, where she exhibited her work and maintained her studio.
Her figurative work largely explores women, their thoughts and emotions, and their relationship with nature. Her work is characterised by vibrant colours and strong light, with an intimate and deeply personal approach.
Exhibition Information
Dates: September 19 – November 15, 2026
Opening hours:
Tuesday–Friday: 1:00–4:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
The exhibition can be visited during the regular opening hours of Safnahúsið in Húsavík.