Eggert Pétursson: Millefleurs

At the heart of Eggert Pétursson’s (b. 1956) art lies the Arctic flora. Drawing on an intimate knowledge of Icelandic vegetation and its volcanic landscapes, the artist invents compositions that are both botanically precise and phantasmagorical, earthly and otherworldly. Attuned to the scale of the tundra’s resilient flowers, mosses, and blossoms, Pétursson opens entire universes in his paintings.

Pétursson’s works range from meticulously realistic depictions of plants repeated like patterns on an endless seeming canvas to almost abstract compositions, where layered paint creates relief-like surfaces. His art is both timely and timeless, it resonates with contemporary ecological and posthumanist concerns while also standing out through visually striking compositions that connect to traditions of abstraction, formalism, and conceptual art.

Devoted to his subject since childhood and deeply versed in local traditions, Eggert Pétursson is one of Iceland’s most beloved artists. This solo exhibition focuses particularly on his works from the last fifteen years, many of which have not been shown in Finland before. The exhibition is organized by Turku Art Museum and the National Gallery of Iceland in close collaboration with the artist and i8 Gallery. It will be accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue on the work of Eggert Pétursson.

The exhibition is supported by the Finnish Heritage Agency.