Ólöf Kristín Ólafsdóttir

Ólöf Kristín Ólafsdóttir (b.1993) is an Icelandic painter based in Oslo, Norway. The foundation of her work is androgynous figures, painted in oil. By being androgynous, they exist without the roles that come with gender and embody the freedom that gives. With this depiction, Ólöf hopes to inspire the viewers to wonder who they, and the people around them would be without these boundaries. 

The figures reference the time of myths when gender wasn’t as fixed as it is today. This ancient time of myths combined with Ólöf’s grandmother's stories of Icelandic mythology inspired her to create her own original myths. Each of them have their own story and ways to interact with our world. 

Ólöf’s mythological beings feature a shadow down the middle of their face, pointing to how they exist in this middle ground; they are not necessarily a man nor a woman and they interact with our world without fully being a part of it.

Ólöf's work has previously been exhibited in L.A., Zurich, Reykjavik, Oslo, Brisbane and Lille, France. Over the last decade she has lived and created her art in Australia, Iceland, Norway, Scotland and Portugal