This series was born out of the need to find myself. The longer I searched, however, the more I realised how hopeless and even pointless that search was.
Last summer, I came across a quote from the artist Georgia O'Keeffe: „I have done nothing all summer but wait to be myself again.“ That feeling of constantly waiting, of being at a standstill, of searching for something undefined, has been with me for a long time.
My self-identity is composed of the tangible and the fictional. It is reflected in nature, still life, unknown faces and ideas created by my own imagination. Sometimes I see myself in others, aware that each individual's life is as multifaceted and complex as my own. This realisation brings both comfort and sorrow, as if we are all different fragments of the same soul.
In these photographs, memories and dreams coexist. The frames remain as proof of what was, yet erase the boundaries between time and space. They hold a sadness for moments I failed to capture and did not acknowledge until they had passed. The photographs carry with them nostalgia and longing, not only for the past, but also for the present as it slips through my fingers.
Elín Ósk Jóhannsdóttir (1996) graduated in Fine Art Photography from the School of Photography in 2021. During her studies, she worked purposefully with the interplay between photography and text, and her graduation project was a book that combined her own photographs, found material and text created in dialogue with the writer Diana Sjöfn Jóhannesdóttir.
Since graduating, Elín has undertaken a diverse range of photography projects – from wedding photography and large-scale advertising campaigns to behind-the-scenes photography on film sets. Her passion, however, lies primarily in film photography and the approach it evokes. The film camera requires the photographer to slow down, pause, and preserve each moment with greater care.
In photography, Elín finds a way to tell stories. Image and text are interwoven, creating space for interpretation. A single photograph can become the starting point for many narratives and evoke feelings, memories and questions in the viewer.
Elín currently works as a concept and copywriter, whilst also studying English at the University of Iceland.
A special exhibition opening will be held on Thursday, 15th January from 18:00-21:00, and everyone is most welcome!
LG // Litla Gallerý is supported by the Culture and Tourism Committee.
Hafnarfjörður's due to the event
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This series began with an obsession: the desire to find myself. But the more I searched, the more I realised how impossible, and perhaps even unnecessary, that search is.
Last summer, I came across a quote from the artist Georgia O'Keeffe: “I have done nothing all summer but wait for myself to be myself again.” That sense of waiting, lingering, and searching for something that may never fully appear has stayed with me.
My identity feels both fixed and fictional, reflected back to me through nature, still life, strangers and constructed ideas. Sometimes I recognise myself in others, in the realisation that every passer-by carries a life as vivid and complex as my own. That thought is both comforting and sombre – as if each of us is only a fragment of the same soul.
The images hold memory and absence at once. The frames remain as evidence, while blurring the lines between time and place. There is melancholy in the echoes I could not capture, and in the moments I did not notice until they had already passed. These photographs carry nostalgia and longing, not just for the past, but also for the present as it slips away.
Elín Ósk Jóhannsdóttir (1996) graduated in Fine Art Photography from The Icelandic School of Photography in 2021. During her studies, she devoted much of her work to exploring the relationship between image and text, an area that became the core of her creative interest. Her graduation project was a photography book combining her own photographs, found material, and text developed in collaboration with the writer Díana Sjöfn Jóhannesdóttir.
After graduating, Elín has worked on a wide range of photographic projects – from wedding photography and large-scale advertising campaigns to shooting behind the scenes on film sets. Her passion, however, lies first and foremost in film photography. Working with film requires the photographer to slow down, pause, and preserve each moment with greater care.
For Elín, photography is a way of telling stories. Image and text intertwine to create space for interpretation. A single photograph can open doors to many narratives, stirring emotions, memories, and questions within the viewer.
Elín currently works as a content and copywriter, while also studying English at the University of Iceland.
There will be a special exhibition opening on Thursday, 15th January from 18:00-21:00 and everyone is welcome!
Other opening hours
Fri 16th Jan 13:00 – 18:00
Sat 17th Jan 12:00 – 17:00
Sunday 18th January 14:00 – 17:00
LG // Litla Gallerý is sponsored by the Culture and Tourism Committee of Hafnarfjörður for this event.
