Pétur Thomsen named Artist of the Year 

A rewarding exhibition at Hafnarborg

Pétur Thomsen has been chosen as Artist of the Year for the exhibition Settlement at Hafnarborg during the past winter. The award was presented at the Icelandic Art Awards 2025 this weekend.

Aldís Arnardóttir, director of Hafnarborg, says the choice is an honour. „First and foremost for him, but also a great recognition for Hafnarborg.“ On the Hafnarborg website The staff wishes Pétur congratulations. „… with our heartfelt thanks for a good and rewarding collaboration. We also extend our best thanks to the Art Council, the jury and all those who were involved in our Icelandic Art Awards,“ it says.

Hólmar Hólm, Project Manager for Publicity and Publishing at Hafnarborg, the artist Pétur Thomsen and Aldís Arnardóttir, Director of Hafnarborg, at the award ceremony.

The interplay between human habitation and nature

The jury text states that the relationship between humankind and nature has long been the central theme of Pétur's photographic works, in which there is evidence of humanity's impact on its environment.

„The exhibition Settlement is a long-term photographic project in which Pétur addresses the coexistence of man and nature from the perspective of imbalance and the scars on the earth left by human activity and construction. The works show disturbance to nature, such as scars or breaks in the soil and signs of carelessness in human interaction, which the artist pauses to highlight,“ it is described.

„In the main hall of Hafnarborg, framed photographs without glass were displayed, reminiscent of paintings on canvas. Some were oversized, but there were also works composed of multiple photographs that formed a single whole.“

Calls for the viewer's presence

The testimony states that the presentation calls for the viewer's presence and for contemplation with the artist about the message he wishes to convey: a reminder of humanity's impact on its environment, which has led to global warming and natural disasters. „The exhibition as a whole feels like a kind of call, so it is inevitable to reflect on the impact of one's own existence on the living world.“

The opinion of the judging panel is that Settlement is an exceptionally well-executed exhibition, from its implementation to the presentation of the works, and in it one can perceive an awareness of and care for nature. „With a profound knowledge of the medium of photography, Pétur Thomsen captures in his works an essence and ideology that on the exhibition is effectively transformed into a dialogue with the viewer.“

Yes, a heartfelt congratulations, Peter.

Pétur Thomsen (b. 1973) graduated with an MFA in Photography from the École nationale supérieure de la photographie in Arles, France, in 2004. He previously studied French, art history and archaeology at the Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier and fine art photography at the École supérieure des métiers artistiques in the same city. Pétur has received various awards and accolades.