Creative Summer Jobs – Rán Sigurjónsdóttir – Fine Art
Rán Sigurjónsdóttir, a graphic design student at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, is holding a solo art exhibition at The Shed in early September, organised by Creative Summer Jobs in Hafnarfjörður, where she shares her vision of the world of the elves in oil paintings on wooden panels.
Second year in a row working with Creative Summer Jobs
Young artist Rán Sigurjónsdóttir, a graphic design student at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, is holding a unique art exhibition at The Shed in early September, organised by the Creative Summer Jobs programme in Hafnarfjörður, where she presents her vision of the world of the elves in oil paintings on wooden panels.
„I have always been very interested in painting and everything to do with creating art for as long as I can remember, and have attended various courses at the Reykjavík School of Visual Arts,“ says Rán, who previously studied on the art course at the Garðabær College of Arts and Sciences.
„Last summer, I was also fortunate enough to work with Creative Summer Jobs here in Hafnarfjörður. I then held an educational art exhibition at Hafnarborg entitled Memories of the Aquarium.“
- See the news from last year here
How do the elves see the world?
„The reason I chose this topic is because stories of elves and belief in them have strong roots here in Hafnarfjörður. I myself grew up on the street above Hellisgerði and often wandered through nature with the belief that the elves lived in the lava field. I could walk up to any local and ask them about the beings from beyond our world. This connection with hidden beings seems unique to Hafnarfjörður to me. Although not all residents of Hafnarfjörður believe, or have believed, in elves, everyone has their own experiences and encounters with them, even if they are only rumours. I think people might find it interesting to attend this exhibition and see how I think elves see the world, and then draw their own conclusions from that perspective.“
Summer's harvest on display at The Shed
„At the beginning of September, I will be holding an art exhibition at The Shed, thanks to the generosity of Anthony Bacigalupo and Ýr Káradóttir, who run this fine shop and community space with a passion for the arts and cultural life.“
„The exhibition will feature several oil paintings, painted on large wooden panels. The works themselves are inspired by nature here in Hafnarfjörður, or the home of the elves. In my work, I use soft pastel colours that turn reality into a kind of unreality. Or rather, how I imagine elves see the world. I will set up a Facebook event closer to the date. Everyone is welcome, and hopefully, the exhibition will convey some of the joy I had in creating it.“
We strongly encourage you to keep an eye out for the event's further details, as well as for this versatile and creative artist, on Instagram. here.
About Creative Summer Jobs 2025
In the summer of 2021, the City of Hafnarfjörður, in collaboration with the city's youth centre, Hamarinn, decided to revive the “Creative Summer Jobs” project, which had been run in the summer of 2017. Individuals and groups aged 18-25 were also invited to submit ideas for creative projects in Hafnarfjörður. Selected groups were given the opportunity to work on various creative projects in different artistic fields that would also liven up the town's social life, delighting tourists and residents in one way or another. The staff of the Creative Summer Jobs, run as part of the Hafnarfjörður Work Camp, are tasked with bringing the town to life, making it more fun, beautiful and diverse with artistic and creative events. The projects are varied and appeal to different age groups and interests. Þorbjörg Signý Ágústsson is the project manager for Creative Summer Jobs.
This year, there are nine diverse projects operating as part of the Creative Summer Jobs scheme, and they will be featured weekly over the summer.