Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.12.2011, Blaðsíða 62

14the reykjavík grapevine Xmas special spectacular 2011Issue 18
When guðbjörg kristín Ingvars-
dóttir opened Aurum in a small
backhouse off the main street
laugavegur in 1999, her nature-
inspired designs were like a breath
of fresh air to the local jewellery
racks.
Today, Aurum is one of the most cel-
ebrated entities of Icelandic design, but
Guðbjörg is not one to sit on her lau-
rels—with her tableware collection and
cool new concept store, she will soon
accessorise both us and our homes,
too.
how did you end up as a jewellery
designer?
I went to high school in Bainbridge
Island in the US when I was 18. It is a
little island, you take a boat from Se-
attle. I stayed for a year and took all the
art classes. I didn’t have them at home
in Ísafjörður. I took a course in jewel-
lery, too, and fell for it. When I returned
home, I started to look for a practical
place.
After studying and working in
denmark, you returned home and
opened your own workshop and
label in 1999. What is the Aurum
ideology?
I felt I could show Icelanders something
new. The jewellery I was doing was
nothing like what was available here
back then, I work very three-dimen-
sionally with clear, feminine forms.
And I want to make jewellery that
women can come and buy themselves.
I wanted them to afford to just come
and pick a pair of nice earrings to go
with the dress, to not have to wait until
Christmas.
how has your work developed
through the years?
My graduation pieces were dark and
heavy, black and made of iron. When I
got pregnant with my first daughter, my
work got lighter and more feminine.
I am always developing and pushing
myself to make new things.
you introduce new collections
twice a year, one during the an-
nual design festival designmarch
and one before Christmas. What is
new?
‘Bríet,’ ‘Dröfn’ and ‘Dís.’ ‘Bríet’ is made
of copper and has a vintage feel to it,
and ‘Dís’ is inspired by dragonflies. The
idea for ‘Dröfn’ comes from corals I
found on the beach in the west of Ice-
land. We have a summerhouse there.
It doesn’t have electricity, there are
no cars driving by, it is just out in the
middle of nowhere. There, I have every-
thing I need—the sea, the mountain and
the glacier. I get a lot of my ideas there.
Icelandic design is often said to be
inspired by nature. does this ever
bore you?
We have this fantastic nature around
us, with so many things to be inspired
by. It is difficult not to be inspired by
it. There are endless things to pick out
and work with. No—we should not be
bored with it.
What constitutes good jewellery
design for you?
I always think about the human body
and its lines. When you make a paint-
ing, it goes on the wall. When you de-
sign jewellery, it goes on the body. Jew-
ellery should be nice to carry.
you have recently extended your
work beyond jewellery, haven’t
you?
Yes, I launched a collection of ceram-
ics tableware based on the ‘Dögg’ and
‘Hekla’ patterns previously used in my
jewellery in collaboration with the Finn-
ish Elinno. There are more things like
that on the way.
And the store, too, has changed?
Yes, we got this space next door to
our workshop a year and a half ago.
It is a lifestyle store with lots of dif-
ferent things handpicked from all over
the world, things that you won’t find
elsewhere in Iceland, labels like Donna
Wilson, Design House Stockholm and a
lot of children’s art equipment. We also
stock some local design, such as the
NotKnot pillows by Umemi. Just a lot of
things that I like myself! .
Illustration by Inga maría brynjarsdóttirby paul fontaine
The Icelandic Jólasveinar (Yule Lads)
have little to do with the international
Santa Claus. They are descended from
trolls, and were originally bogeymen
who scared children. During this
century they have mellowed, and
sometimes don red suits. Their
number varied in old times from
one region of Iceland to another. The
number thirteen was first seen in a
poem about Grýla (the Lads’ mother)
in the 18th century, and their names
were published by Jón Árnason in his
folklore collection in 1862.
On December 12, the Yuletide Lads
begin to come to town one by one on
each of the 13 days before Christmas.
The first is Stekkjastaur (Sheepfold
Stick), who tries to drink the milk from
the farmers’ ewes.
On December 13, Giljagaur (Gully
Oaf) arrives. Before the days of milking
machines, he would sneak into the
cowshed and skim the froth off the
pails of milk.
Next comes Stúfur (Shorty) on
December 14. His name implies that
he is on the small side. He is also
known as Pönnuskefill (pan-scraper),
as he scraped scraps of food off the
pans.
On December 15, Þvörusleikir
(Spoon-licker) comes down from the
mountains. He steals wooden spoon s
that have been used for stirring. When
he visits the National Museum, he goes
looking for wooden spoons.
On December 16, Pottasleikir (Pot-
licker) comes visiting. He tries to
snatch pots that have not been washed,
and licks the scraps from them.
Askasleikir (Bowl-licker) arrives on
December 17. He hides under beds and
if someone puts his wooden food-bowl
on the f loor, he grabs it and licks it
clean.
Hurðaskellir (Door-slammer)
comes on December 18. He is an
awfully noisy fellow, who is always
slamming doors and keeping people
awake.
The Lad who is expected on
December 19 is called Skyrgámur
(Curd Glutton), because he loves skyr
(milk curd) so much that he sneaks
into the pantry and gobbles up all the
skyr from the tub there.
Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Pilferer)
comes on December 20. He loves
sausages of all kinds, and steals them
whenever he can.
On December 21, Gluggagægir
(Peeper) arrives. He is not as greedy as
some of his brothers, but awfully nosy,
peeping through windows and even
stealing toys he likes the looks of.
On December 22 Gáttaþefur
(Sniffer) comes calling. He has a big
nose, and loves the smell of cakes being
baked for Christmas. He often tries to
snatch a cake or two for himself.
December 22 is sometimes called
hlakkandi (looking forward), because
the children had started looking
forward to Christmas.
On December 23, St. Þorlákur’s
Day, Ketkrókur (Meat Hook) arrives.
He adores all meat. In olden days he
would lower a hook down the kitchen
chimney and pull up a leg of lamb
hanging from a rafter, or a bit of
smoked lamb from a pan, as smoked
lamb was traditionally cooked on St.
Þorlákur’s Day.
Kertasníkir (Candle Beggar) comes
on Christmas Eve, December 24.
In olden times, candlelight was the
brightest light available. Candles were
so rare and precious that it was a treat
for children to be given a candle at
Christmas. And poor Candle Beggar
wanted one too.
During the thirteen days before
Christmas, the National Museum
presents actors dressed as the old-
school Jólasveinar. They show up
around 11 AM each day. National
Museum, Suðurgata 41, 101 Reykjavík.
Tel. 530 2200.
Originally appeared in issue 16/2005.
Xmas | Lads!
Jólasveinar
(yo!-la-svain-er)
Xmas | Jewelry
If it were up to Aurum’s jewellery designer Guðbjörg
Kristín Ingvarsdóttir, it would be Christmas all year round
Don’t Have To Wait
Until Christmas
by sari peltonen photography by hvalreki
some Cool gIft IdeAs
from Aurum
unisex jewels
Known for her feminine form lan-
guage, Guðbjörg Kristín Ingvarsdót-
tir has designed a new unisex collec-
tion ‘Dröfn,’ inspired by corals she
found on the west coast of Iceland.
bird bone pendant
In addition to Guðbjörg's own de-
signs, Aurum also stocks Sami jew-
ellery from Swedish Lapland and
another local label, Kría (Icelandic
for Arctic tern), with pieces inspired
by and resembling the bird’s bones
and claws.
french fragrance
The latest addition to Aurum’s life-
style brands is French L’Artisan
Parfumeur. From forest to flowers,
absinthe to amber, the range covers
perfumes, candles, room scents and
amber balls.
merry monkey business
The responsible choice for a Christ-
mas gift, MonkeyBiz is a non-profit
project that empowers women in
bead art in South Africa. Each of the
quirky, colourful pieces is unique
and comes signed by the artist who
made it.
Aurum is located on Bankastræti 4,
101 Reykjavík