Education
1991–1992 Academy of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg
1992–1993 Houvedskous Målarskola, Gothenburg
1993–1994 Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Art, Painting Department, Stockholm
1994–1998 Valand Academy of Fine Art, MFA, Gothenburg
1997 San Francisco Art Institute, New Genres Department, San Francisco
Upcoming solo exhibitions
2024 Hveragerdi Art museum, Hveragerði, Iceland
Selected solo exhibitions
2023 My Mother’s Dream, Gallery Gudmundsdóttir, Berlin
2023 The Seventh Day, Icelandic ambassador residence in Berlin
2022 When time stopped, Portfolio Galleri, Reykjavik
2022 My Mother’s Dream, Norrtälje Konsthall, Norrtälje, Sweden
2021 Övergångar/Transformations, Lund Cathedral, The crypt, Lund, Sweden
2019 Patterns of the Family, Maniere Noir, Berlin
Patterns of the Family, Reykjanes Art Museum, Keflavik, Iceland
2018 Memory of Color, Galleri Grotta, Reykjavík
2017 Genesis, Lund Cathedral, The crypt, Lund, Sweden
2016 Genesis, Galleri Konstepidemin, Gothenburg, Sweden
Genesis, Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík
2015 Make a Painting of Trees Growing in a Forest, Kalmar Konstmuseum,
Kalmar, Sweden
2014 Visual Wandering, Listasafn ASÍ, Reykjavík
2013 The Letter ”I” in the Landscape, The Corridor, Reykjavík
2009 Langenhagen, Kunstmuseum Mikkeli, project space, Mikkeli, Finland
2008 The Plough, AK28, Stockholm
2007 Sad with Satie, Röda Sten, Gothenburg
2006 Langenhagen, Kunstverein Langenhagen, Langenhagen, Germany
Sad with Satie, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin
2003 Capital of the North, Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri, Iceland
2002 What You Actually Saw, Gallerí Hlemmur, Reykjavík
2001 Here, There and Everywhere, Gallerí Hlemmur, Reykjavík
1999 Beautiful Landscape, Ynglingagatan 1, Stockholm
1998 Tittut/Peekaboo, Ynglingagatan 1, Stockholm
1998 See You, Galleri Rotor, Gothenburg
1996 Porträtt, Galleri Rotor, Gothenburg
Selected group exhibitions and screenings*
2023 Reflections, Bag Factory Artists Studios, Johannesburg
2023 Caleidoscope, Reykjavik Art museum, Iceland
2022 Stuffit, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm
2022 Everything Goes, Galleri Gudmundsdottir, Berlin
Summer Salon, Bag Factory Artist Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa
The First Day, summer show at Galleri Gudmundsdottir, Berlin
2021 Selected Works, Part II, Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri, Iceland
2020 Reality on canvas, Reykjavík art museum, Kjarvalsstaðir, Iceland
On seeing, Gletta exhibition space, Borgarfjörður Eystri, Iceland
Art Attack, 50 contemporary nordic artists, Bohusläns Museum, Sweden
Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg, South Africa
2018 Composing Reality, Hilbertraum, Berlin
2018 Inclusive Nations, Cycle art and music festival, Kopavogur Art Museum, Iceland
2017 Till konsten – tro, hopp, tvivel och kärlek, Galleri Öst, Konstakademien, Stockholm
2016 Gersemar úr safneign Listasafns ASÍ, Reykjavík
2015 Just Painted 2, Kjarvalsstaðir, Listasafn Reykjavíkur, Reykjavík
Project Metropolis, Silesian Museum, Katowice, Poland
2014 Tree/Difficulty of Freedom/Freedom of Difficulty, Verklighten Art Centre,
Umeå, Sweden
Icelandic Contemporary Portrait, Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri
A Place Where We Could Go, Kronika, Bytom, Poland
2013 Tree/Difficulty of Freedom/Freedom of Difficulty, Living Art Museum, Reykjavík
2012 Flying, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin
(In)dependent People, Reykjavík Art Festival, Reykjavík
Boy and Horse* (with Craniv Boyd), Black Box, Ateliers ’89, Oranjestad, Aruba
2011 Moment-Ynglingagatan 1, Moderna Museet, Stockholm
Játtningar, Listasavn Føroya, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
2010 Nordens u-land? Isländsk konst i kristid, Färgfabrik Norr, Östersund, Sweden
Icelandic Art Today, Icelandic embassy, Bejing, China
Walk the Line, Apex pro art e.V., Göttingen, Germany
There Is a Tear in My Beer*, Westberlin, Berlin
La Strada 2010, Museum of Prácheň, Písek, Czech RepublicLa Strada 2010, Galerie
Klatovy/Klenová, Janovice nad Úhlavou, Czech RepublicLa Strada 2010, New Town
Hall, Prague, Czech Republic La Strada 2010, Great Synagogue, Plzeň, Czech Republic
2009 Zeigen, an audiotour, Neue Berliner Kunsthalle, Berlin
In Deep Water/Lífróður, Hafnaborg, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
2008 Purple of Exteriors, MKgalerie, Rotterdam
Something Must Break, Kronika, BytomLa Strada 2008, Karlovy Vary Art Gallery,
Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, Gegen den Strich, Bielefelder Kunstverein, Bielefeld,
Germany, Review of a Position, MKgalerie, Berlin
Cold Hearts Revisited*, Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane, AustraliaGalleri54 at Hagateatern*, Hagateatern, Gothenburg
2007 Neue Heimat: Berlin Contemporary, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin Gegen den Strich,
Künstlerhaus Bethanien, BerlinCold Hearts Revisited*, Scandinavia House, New York
Fukt*, Contemporary Art Museum of Macedonia, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
2006 Sequences, I-8 Gallery, Reykjavík Icelandic Contemporary Video Art, KW Institut for
Contemporary Art, Berlin Acquisitions 2002–2005, Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík
2005 The Peninsula*, Singapore History Museum, Singapore
2004 Momentum 04, Nordic Festival of Contemporary Art, Moss, Norway
Monday Stories, Klink og Bank, Reykjavík
2003 Sverige Komplett, Bohusläns Konsthall, Uddevalla, Sweden
L’artiste portatif, Centre Culturel du Mexique, Paris
Stockholm Art Fair, Galleri Hlemmur, Stockholm
Beautiful Landscape, Galleri Hlemmur, Reykjavík
2002 Galleri Hlemmur, Kopavogur Art Museum, Kopavogur, IcelandHvalreki,
Ljósafossvirkjun, þingvellir, Iceland
Second Flash, Kozelites, Pécs, HungaryMy Body Is Over the Ocean, Alma Löv Museum, Östra Ämtervik, Sweden
2000 The Skoghall Konsthall, Skoghall, Sweden Swe.de, Riksutställningar touring exhibition,
Stockholm Art Fair, StockholmSwe.de, Uppsala Konstmuseum, Uppsala, Sweden
Swe.de, Sandvikens Konsthall, Sandviken, Sweden Swe.de, Jönköpings läns Museum, Jönköping, Sweden
1999 First European Seminar for Artist-Run Spaces (FESARS), Konstakuten, Stockholm
Trolleys Having Fun, Artspace, Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Stockholm Lightshow, Signal Gallery, Malmö, Sweden
Selected awards, grants and residencies
2020 Travel grant, Myndstef, Icelandic Visual Art Copyright Association, Iceland
2020 Three months residency at the Bag Factory artists studio, Johannesburg, South Africa 2019 Three months residency at the Bag Factory artists studio, Johannesburg, South Africa
2019 Six-month artist salary, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Iceland
2018 Six-month artist salary, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Iceland
2016 Three-month artist salary, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Iceland
2015 Grant, Stiftelsen Längmanska Kulturfond, Stockholm
2014 Project grant, Myndlistarsjóður – Icelandic Cultural Fund, Reykjavík
2013 Artistic research grant as part of Difficulty of Freedom/ Freedom of Difficulty, Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Sweden
Two-year artist salary, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Iceland
2012 Artist residency, Ateliers ’89, Oranjestad, Aruba
2011 Artist residency, Cité des Arts, ParisMobility grant, Kulturkontakt Nord, Helsinki
2010 Artist residency, Skaftfell Center for Visual Arts, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
Nes Artist, Residency, Skagaströnd, Iceland
Mobility grant, Kulturkontakt Nord, Helsinki
2009 Nes Artist Residency, Skagaströnd
2008 One-year artist salary, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Iceland
2007 IASPIS project grant, Havana, Cuba
2005 Artist residency, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin Residency grant, Center for Icelandic
Art, Iceland
Six-month work grant, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Iceland
Project grant, Myndstef, Icelandic Visual Art Copyright Association, Iceland
2004 Project grant, Myndstef, Icelandic Visual Art Copyright Association, Iceland
2003 First Prize, Listasjódur Dungal Art Prize, Reykjavík
2002 Gothenburg Art Prize, Gothenburg City Council, Gothenburg
Public acquisitions
2023 National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavik
2022 Norrtälje Konsthall, Norrtälje, Sweden
2020 Norrtälje Konsthall, Norrtälje, Sweden
2019 Reykjanes Art Museum, Keflavík, Iceland
2017 SAK, Sveriges Allmänna Konstförening, Stockholm
2016 Göteborgs kulturnämnd, Gothenburg, Sweden
2016 National Gallery of Iceland
2014 Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík
Listasafn ASÍ, Reykjavík
2012 Moderna Museet, Stockholm
2004 Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík
2003 Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri
1996 National Public Art Council, Sweden Gothenburg City Council, Gothenburg
Other activities
2021 Guest teacher, Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Umeå, Sweden
2020 Guest teacher, Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Umeå, Sweden
2018 Guest teacher, Reykjavik art academy, Reykjavík
2011–2015 Guest professor (20%), Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Umeå, Sweden
2014 Guest professor, Iceland Academy of the Arts, Fine Art Department, Reykjavík
2012 Guest professor (with Craniv Boyd) on invitation by the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Ateliers ’89, Oranjestad, Aruba
Guest professor, Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Umeå
2010 Guest professor, Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Umeå
Guest professor, Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavík
2008 Guest professor, Valand Academy, Gothenburg
2007 Panelist, “Neue Heimat: Berlin Contemporary,” Berlin
Panelist “Art Forum Berlin Art Talks/Art Cities in Dialogue,” Berlin
Guest professor, Cátedra Arte de Conducta, Havana, Cuba
Guest professor, Valand Academy, Gothenburg
2004–2005 Guest professor, Umeå Academy of Fine Arts, Umeå
2002–2003 Board member and curator, Galleri Hlemmur, Reykjavík
1998–2000 Member of artist collective Swe.de, Ynglingagatan 1, Stockholm
Selected bibliography
Catalogues
My Mother’s Dream, edited and written by Erla S. Haraldsdóttir, Exh. cat. Norrtälje Konsthall. Norrtälje. Stockholm, Arvinius Orfeus Publishing.
Övergångar / Transformations with contributions by Lena Sjöstrand and Craniv Boyd, Exh. cat. Lunds Cathderal, Lund. Stockholm, Arvinius Orfeus Publishing.
Craniv A Boyd, The Recent Paintings of Erla S. Haraldsdóttir, Guðrún Erla Geirsdóttir, “Who were your foremothers” , In Fjölskyldumynstur / Patterns of the Family Exh. cat. Reykjanes Art Museum, Iceland, 2019
Craniv A Boyd, The Hidden Paintings of Erla S. Haraldsdóttir, In Memory of Color, Exh. cat. Gallerí Grótta, Iceland, 2018
Dan Backman, “Absurd poetisk.” In Tro, hopp, tvivel och kärlek Exh. cat. Konstakademien. Sveriges allmänna konstförening, (SAK). Bokförlaget Arena. 2017.
Lena Sjöstrand. “Genesis” In Genesis, exh. folder. Lund: Lunds domkyrka, 2017.
Jonatan Habib Enqvist. “In the Beginning, Again.” In Genesis, exh. folder. Lund: Lunds domkyrka, 2017.
Jonatan Habib Enqvist. “Seventh Day.” In Geneis, exh. folder. Reykjavík: Hallgrímskirkja, 2016.
Make a Painting of Trees Growing in a Forest: Selected Works by Erla S. Haraldsdóttir. Exh. cat. Kalmar Konstmuseum. With contributions by Jonathan Habib Enqvist, Christoph Tannert and Kyllikki Zacharias. Reykjavík: Crymogea, 2015.
Difficulty of Freedom/Freedom of Difficulty (with Carin Ellberg). With contributions by Craniv Boyd, Birta Guðjónsdóttir, Jonatan Habib Enqvist and Roland Spolander. Reykjavík: Umeå Academy of Fine Arts and Crymogea, 2014.
Christoph Tannert. “Über Erla S. Haraldsdóttirs Methodenreflexion.” In A Place Where We Would Go, exh. cat. Bytom: Kronika, 2014.
Jonatan Habib Enqvist. “Visual Wandering.” In Visual Wandering, exh. poster. Reykjavík: Listasafn ASÍ, 2014.
Christian Schoen and Halldór Björn Runólfsson, eds. Icelandic Art Today. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.
Katharina Raab. “Here, There and Everywhere.” In Neue Heimat: Berlin Contemporary, exh. cat.
Berlin: Berlinische Galerie, 2007.
Björn Hegardt, ed. Fukt #5, “The Animation Issue.” Berlin: Fukt, 2006.
Halldor Björn Runolfsson. Short presentation text. In Yearly Programme Booklet. Berlin: Künstlerhaus Bethanien, 2005 .
Ika Kaminka. “Here, There and Everywhere.” In Momentum 04: Nordic Biennial of Contemporary Art, exh. cat. Moss, 2004.
Halldor Bjorn Runolfsson. “Art to Fight Over.” In exh. booklet. Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri 2003.
Enrique Vila-Matas, ed. L’artiste portatif, exh. cat. Paris: Centre Culturel du Mexique, 2003. Halldor Bjorn Runolfsson, ed. My Body Is Over the Ocean, exh. cat. Östra Ämtervik: Alma Löv Museum, 2002.
Karl Holmqvist, ed. Here, There and Everywhere. Reykjavík: Galleri Hlemmur, 2001. Swe.De, Stockholm: Swe.De, 2000.
Reviews, coverages and interviews
Margaretha Levin Blekastad, ”Erla skapar konst av dagbokens hemliga drömmar”. Coverage. Norrtelje tidning, 13/12/2021
Carolina Söderholm. “Här är konsten du inte ska missa”. Review. Sydsvenska Dagbladet, 18/04/2021
Halla Þórlaug óskarsdóttir. “Mynstur”. Interview. Tengivagninn | RÚV Icelandic National Radio, Culture. 7/8/2019
Ragnheiður Birgisdóttir. “Sjálfsvitund og Samkennd”. Interview. Morgunblaðið, 30/05/2019
Gunnþóra Gunnarsdóttir. Interview. Fréttablaðið, 30/05/2019
Hulda Rós Guðnadóttir. “Afbygging Dyrðarljómans” Artzine. 16/10/2018
Jonatan Habib Engqvist. “In the Beginning. Again.” Artzine. 05/09/2017
Joakim Stierna. “”Isländsk konst med bilder av skapelsen lyser upp Kryptan”” Essay. Sydsskånskan.
14/07/2017
John Palm. “Från abstrakt spegling till gudomlig vila i isländsk version av skapelseberättelsen.”
Article. Sydsvenska Dagbladet. 14/07/2017
Sara Arvidsson. “Sjunde Dagen” Art review. Göteborgs Posten, 16/12/2016
Halla Þórlaug óskarsdóttir. “Sköpunarsagan er full af tilvísunum.” Interview. Viðsjá | RÚV Radio, Culture
Kristína Aðalsteinsdóttir, “Studio visit, Erla S. Haraldsdóttir” Interview. Icelandic Art Center.
Einar Falur Ingólfsson. “Málverkið mannlegt og djúpt.” Morgunblaðið, 12/1/2015.
Gunnþóra Gunnarsdóttir. “Titli bókarinnar var hvíslað í eyra mitt.” Fréttablaðið, 11/28/2015.
Thomas Löwemo. “Konst sprungen ur friheten i det låsta.” Östra Småland Tidningen, 10/3/2015.
Mikael Hagner. “Med färgen och ljuset i sin hand.” Barometern, 10/3/2015.
Kristín H. Kristínsdóttir. “Að mála er að vera ástfangin.” Interview. Morgunblaðið, 10/22/2014. Elísabet Indra Ragnarsdóttir. “The Slow Process of Painting.” Interview. Viðsjá | RÚV Radio, Culture programme, 10/21/2014.
Martina John. “Ein Traum vom Fliegen” Die Gruppenausstellung Flying im Künstlerhaus Bethanien.” Gallerytalk.net, 11/18/2012.
Markús Þór Andrésson. “Reynisdrangar.” Læknablaðið, 7/2009.
Guðni Tómasson. Interview. Viðsjá | RÚV Radio, Culture programme, 10/7/2008. Kirsty Bell. “Neue Heimat.” Frieze Magazine, 11/2007.Kolja Reichert. “Renaissance des Ratzefummels.” Der Tagesspiegel, 7/5/2007.
Katrin Bettina Müller. “Ein Echoraum für das Jetzt.” Die Tageszeitung, 7/4/2007.
Dominic Eichler. “Where Am I?,” Interview. List – Icelandic Art News, 2007. Dominic Eichler. “Where Am I?.” Interview. Be-Magazin, 2006.
Dieter Brookman. Review. Art Observer, 2006.
Thora Thorisdottir. Review. Morgunbladid, 7/10/2004. John Peter Nilsson. Review. Aftonbladet, 6/6/2004. Review. Morgenbladet, 5/28/2004.
Thoroddur Bjarnason. “Íslensk myndlist.” Morgunbladid, 9/6/2003.
Ragna Sigurdardottir. “Vindlareykjandi álfastúlkur á Hlemmi.” Morgunbladid, 11/9/2003.
Brynhildur Thorarinsdóttir. “Íslendingar í Adalhlutverki.” TMM, 3/2002.
Joanna Sandell. “Urbana ingenmansland.” Svenska Dagbladet, Friday supplement, 1/2002.
Review. Presens, 11/2001.
Halldor Bjorn Runolfsson. “Here, There and Everywhere.” Morgunbladid, 4/19/2001.
Anna Brodow. “Ynglingatan floppar i Uppsala.” Svenska Dagbladet, 4/2000. ”Vagnar i vild dans på Arlanda.” Metro Stockholm, 5/1999. Crispin Ahlström. “The Observer Becomes Both Co-Actor and Walker-On.” Gothenburgsposten, 4/1998.
Cecilia Gelin. “Personliga Porträtt.” GT Kultur, 10/1996