Anna Zorina Gallery is pleased to present Baldur Helgason’s first solo show with the Gallery titled Acts of Worship. This exhibition features the artist’s latest paintings created during the winter of 2022-23, The body of work reveals the artist's personal exploration of spirituality, life’s purpose and self-discovery.
These works were created in the darkest depths of Icelandic winter. With as little as four hours of sunlight per day, the artist found himself immersed in a literal darkness that mirrored the bleakness of the world around him. Helgason found motivation in his environment as it became the catalyst for a transformative and introspective process. He honed in on the challenging emotions and embraced them as a wellspring of inspiration. In distinctly Nordic terms, the darkness itself became Baldur's muse and guiding light. Appropriately, this series of paintings is unveiled at the height of summer during the longest days of the year.
Through his unique visual language, Baldur Helgason captures the essence of contemporary existence, creating compelling artworks that fuse nostalgia, humor, and mania. Each piece reflects a profound understanding of the intricate complexities and contradictions that define human nature. Employing a classic cartoon aesthetic, Helgason infuses his imagery with playfulness and irony, inviting viewers to explore the darker recesses of their psyche with a light-hearted and irreverent spirit. While Helgason's subject matter may be raw and stark, his paintings ultimately uplift and empower, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, we possess the capacity to find joy, beauty, and meaning in the world that surrounds us.
BALDUR HELGASON (B.1984, Iceland) received his BFA from Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2008 and MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2011. He has exhibited widely in international exhibitions including solos at Ojiri Gallery, London, UK; WOAW Gallery, Hong Kong; and Richard Heller Gallery, California, USA as well as group shows at Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland; König Gallery, Berlin, Germany; Gallery Port, Reykjavik, Iceland; and Galerie Zink, Waldkirchen, Germany.
