Eggert Petursson

Icelandic painter Eggert Pétursson (born 1956), a leading figure of the country’s contemporary art scene, concentrates entirely on the minute tundra of Iceland’s seemingly barren landscape. Relying on his extensive knowledge of botany and his outstanding technical draughtsmanship, the artist became known in the late 1980s for his unique approach to painting the Arctic flora. Pétursson repeats sections of vegetation, to dizzying effect, revealing a hypnotic universe within the natural forms. Seen at a distance, his paintings appear to be abstractions but at closer inspection, the canvases are hyper-realistic, with minutely detailed representations of each petal, stem and leaf. His imaginative and modest creations are the result of great patience and painstakingly delicate brushwork. This large-format monograph presents a selection of Pétursson’s most significant works from the last two decades, organized by their size.