Biography

Sara Björnsdóttir lives and works in Reykjavík, Iceland. She studied at the Icelandic College of Art and Crafts (1991–1995) and completed an MA in Fine Art (Combined Media) at Chelsea College of Art & Design, London (1996–1997). Since graduating, she has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Iceland and internationally. Collections include The National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavík Art Museum and the LÁ Art Museum, Iceland.

Her practice is rooted in a conceptual approach and spans performance, video, photography, sound, watercolour, collage and installation, selecting the medium that best serves the idea behind each work. Over time, her work has evolved through a growing awareness of audience and spatial context, reflected in her interest in responding to place, drawing attention to subtle or overlooked aspects of a site and revealing fragile forms of beauty that often go unnoticed. People, society, and the uncanny details of everyday life serve as raw material in her work, carrying a sense of beauty laced with unease, quiet magic entwined with the haunting forces of time, vulnerability and human relations.

Björnsdóttir has received multiple grants and awards, including the Dungal Memorial Fund (2001), Guðmunda Andrésdóttir’s Fund (2002), and the Alternative Routes Prize for video at 700.is Reindeerland (2010). She co-founded the artist-run gallery Kling & Bang in Reykjavík, served on selection committees for the Icelandic Art Fund,  The Icelandic art centre and a jury member for public art commissions. In addition, she has worked as an art educator and curator, teaching at the Reykjavík School of Visual Arts and the Iceland University of the Arts and organizing international exhibitions under The Art Society project in London (2017–2018).