Heartstrings

Through everyday life in Iceland, I explore the invisible threads connecting people to each other and nature, about their homes and where intimacy, loneliness, and the need to belong take shape.

This work is about people’s everyday lives in their homes in Iceland and in other places that are important to them, like nature. The images are about the appearances  as well as the intangible, like atmosphere and intimacy. Furthermore it is an exploration

on relationships and feelings between individuals in Iceland. Icelanders are quite reserved people, quite secretive about their lives at home.  I explore affective, friendly, familial dynamics but also loneliness. The images explore our need for belonging and the loneliness we may feel alongside it. Connection is central to our lives. It begins with the umbilical cord, our first physical link to our mother, while the emotional bond continues to develop beyond birth. In this work, the cord becomes a metaphor for the threads or strings we extend throughout our lives, reaching towards other people, nature, and places we hold dear. Through these connections, we seek closeness and a sense of belonging. Nature in Iceland  is an inseparable part of our surroundings, shaping our emotions and behavior. Nature is for us more than a backdrop to human life; it is an active part of it. In Iceland, it is all around us, shaping our daily lives whether we are aware of it or not. It can offer shelter and sustenance, yet also be unpredictable and threatening. In this work, it therefore serves both as a connecting thread and as a framework for my exploration of people and the environment to which they belong. I select moments from everyday life, small instances that tell a larger story. I explore how their inner worlds—emotions, memories, beliefs, and tastes—become visible in their surroundings. We live in our home but it lives also within us. In Iceland the home is very important because it is where we spend a big part of our lives, the weather being unpredictable, often violent and cold. Through everyday life in Iceland, I explore the invisible threads connecting people, homes, and nature—where intimacy, loneliness, and the need to belong take shape.