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Steingrímur Gauti
Now Represented by Galerie Marguo
Galerie Marguo is pleased to announce worldwide representation of Reykjavík, Iceland-based artist Steingrímur Gauti.
Working primarily in acrylic combined with mixed media, Steingrímur Gauti has developed a singular language, mastering abstraction as a pure expression of emotions and intuitions. Drawing inspiration from his surroundings — the often dramatic Icelandic nature and the country’s unpredictable, ever-changing weather — along with daily life and urban textures, his works are expressive and spontaneous, yet delicately nuanced and grounded.
“Steingrímur Gauti's work feels like a form of contemporary poetry on its own and has very special resonance in the context of our program” says Vanessa Guo, co-founder and partner of Galerie Marguo.
To mark this occasion, we present this online exhibition by Gauti consisting of his most recent works created at his Reykjavík studio as Iceland thaws and enters springtime.
Galerie Marguo will hold its first exhibition with Gauti in Paris in September 2021.
View exhibition e-book:
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"I aim to express and examine some basic forms of human emotions. In a sense you could say that most of my paintings are just a series of mistakes until they add up to something that works out aesthetically and emotionally. In a sense, a lot like life itself."
— Steingrímur Gauti
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These large, abstract expanses with childlike drawings and scribbles scattered and sometimes hidden in layers of paint highlight the artist’s daily practice.
Untitled (15), 2021
Acrylic, chalk, graphite on canvas
200 x 160 cm / 204 x 164 cm (framed) -
Though he “doesn’t consciously think about colors and forms,” as the artist explains, Ingólfsson in his particular layering of subtle colors and paint creates gravity that pulls you into these what he calls “emotional landscapes.”
Untitled (14), 2021
Acrylic, chalk, graphite on canvas
200 x 160 cm / 204 x 164 cm (framed) -
For Ingólfsson, the most important aspect of his work is the daily practice of it. The act of painting is a way of thinking and meditating with the focus on simplicity and lightness. The physical touches and brushes in these paintings evoke a feeling of water flowing across canvases, as if seeing time passing through then disappearing into the works.
Untitled (16), 2021
Acrylic, chalk, graphite on canvas
200 x 160 cm / 204 x 164 cm (framed) -
"The act of painting for me is a way of thinking. I don’t really think and paint. The mind follows the hand, and the act becomes a conversation with the work in progress, an almost automatic process. The outcome is ideally not what you would call intellectual, rather something more dynamic and physical."
— Steingrímur Gauti Ingólfsson
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"I think my use of colours is very instinctive, and have all sorts of notations. Some, like the greens and browns are very connected with nature and have something to do with the seasons."
— Steingrímur Gauti Ingólfsson
Untitled (12), 2021
Acrylic, chalk, graphite on canvas
140 x 140 cm / 144 x 144 cm (framed) -
About the artist
Born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1986, Steingrímur Gauti Ingólfsson developed a passion for the arts in early youth and continued on this path, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Iceland University of Arts in 2015.
Since then, he has been highly active in the art world, locally and internationally, quickly gaining notice for his large-scale abstract paintings along with various activities in the vibrant Icelandic arts scene. His works are currently featured in collections found in Iceland, Europe, The US and Asia.
© Steingrímur Gauti Ingólfsson
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View Steingrímur Gauti's works at the gallery by appointment.
