Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.11.2015, Qupperneq 12

12 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • November 1 2015
VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.LH-INC.CA ISIT R EBSITE .
Steina Bessason has her artist studio tucked into a small bluff of
pines, poplars, willows, and
maples on the lot beside her
house in Gimli. The close-to-
nature setting is appropriate.
Steina is an artist who draws
in a multitude of objects and
expressions of nature into her
work. As she says: “I always
use materials I find at hand.”
That explains the prolific use
of stones, leathers, fabrics, and
wood in her pieces. Steina’s
husband Ryan is a collaborator
in all this. He built the studio
and he frequently supplies raw
materials that are turned into
pieces of art.
Steina is the daughter of
Ásgerður Haraldsdóttir and
Haraldur Bessason. She was not
quite two years old when her
father accepted the position as
Chair of Icelandic Studies at the
University of Manitoba. She,
along with her mother, father,
and infant sister Ella, moved
from Iceland to Winnipeg in
1956. Her younger sisters,
Kristín and Sigrun Stella, were
born in Canada.
In our interview with Steina,
she told us that her passion for
the arts is a result of her Icelandic
upbringing. As she explains it,
her Icelandicness (her word)
is what feeds her artistic drive.
Growing up with the notion
that every Icelander is an artist
in his or her own way gave her
the innate permission to explore
her creativity. She grew up with
art all around her and this taught
her that it is not capricious to be
an artist, it is a valuable pursuit.
Art has a value; to know it and
to see it is how we enrich our
life and feed our spirit. She had
the support and encouragement
from her Icelandic family when
she chose to pursue a degree in
fine arts and further courses in
interior design at the University
of Manitoba.
Her Icelandicness also
gave her the confidence that
women could do anything
they wanted. Her mother
Ása was her role model. She
taught Steina how to express
her art with her handiwork.
She was a skilled seamstress.
She could fix things and create
furniture for the house with
her carpentry skills. Ása was
a prolific storyteller. With
the telling of the stories she
would draw the characters in
front of her daughter’s eyes so
they all came alive in Steina’s
imagination.
Steina spent many summer
breaks from school in Iceland
with her maternal grandparents,
whose house overflowed with
works of art. The multiple
contours and colours of the
Icelandic landscape are very
visible in several of Steina’s
paintings. The shapes and
shadows in some of the
pieces conjure up shadows of
characters from old Icelandic
folktales. Steina has it right: her
Icelandicness is definitely alive
on the walls of the studio where
her work is displayed.
The studio is a great place
to browse. There are leather and
stone bracelets and necklaces for
sale. There are acrylics hanging
on the walls. The shelves are
overflowing with multimedia
pieces (“Flights of Fancy,”
she calls them), fabrics, and
works in progress. The works
in progress are as interesting as
the finished products. As Steina
explains, process in art is every
bit as important as talent and
hard work. The best way to
visit the studio is to have the
artist herself at your side. She
will tell you about the process
as well as the inspiration.
She brings an intellectual
dimension to a visual piece
you may not have fully grasped
with your first impressions.
Steina is passionate about her
art and likes to show it off
to her visitors and potential
customers. Her studio is open
any day, any season. Just call
first for an appointment.
There is one of those blue
Icelandic signs at the driveway
to Steina and Ryan’s house
and the studio nestled in the
trees on South Colonization
Road in Gimli. The sign says
Vanabyggð, which is also the
name of the street in Akureyri
where her father lived for
several years. The Vanir, from
which the name is derived
were a race of gods of the
Old Norse religion. The Vanir
are associated with issues
relating to nature and magic.
The invocation of the Vanir is
appropriate. There is definitely
a hint of magic in the nature
expressed in Steina’s art.
E-mail Steina at
steinastudio@mymts.net or
call 1-204-642-8445 for an
appointment to visit Steina’s
Studio in Gimli. Get a virtual
view of her work on her
Facebook page, Steina’s Studio.
Elva Simundsson
Gimli, MB
JOHNSON’S
Fashion & Footwear
June Kristofferson • Kim Magnusson • Carolin Magnusson
76 Centre St. Box 5000 Gimli, MB R0C1B0 Tel: (204) 642-4010 Fax: (204) 642-4016
w w w . j o h n s o n s g i m l i . c o m sales@johnsonsgimli.com
Steina’s Studio
80 South Colonization Road, Gimli, Manitoba, 204-642-8445
steinastudio@mymts.net, Open Year Round by Appointment
Vintage | Modern | Classic
Gimli, MB
35 Centre St.
Tues - Sat 10am - 5:30pm
Sun 12pm - 5pm
decor + furnishings
for home + cottage
Winnipeg, MB
Johnston Terminal
25 Forks Market Rd.
Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm, Sun 12pm - 5pm
www.lifahome.com
Left: Steina in her studio with Hulda Daníelsdóttir. Centre: Steina with her mother Ása.
Right: Steina with her parents, Ása and Haraldur, and younger sister Ella.
Steina and her studio
204-651-0169
UNIT 3, 40 CENTRE STREET GIMLI, MANITOBA
OPEN MONDAY – THURSDAY 7 AM - 5 PM
FRIDAY 7 AM - 6 PM SATURDAY – SUNDAY 8 AM - 3 PM
1-204-651-2661
www.sugarmecookieboutique.com • 1-204-651-2661 • Open Weds – Sat 9 am - 5 pm
Open Weds – Sat 9 am - 5 pm
41 Centre Street, Lighthouse Mall, Gimli, MB