Iceland review - 2013, Qupperneq 68

66 ICELAND REVIEW
The man behind the first 20 years
of Iceland Review’s design is Gísli B.
Björnsson. His exhibition Five Decades of
Graphic Design, will be on display at the
Museum of Design and Applied Art in
Garðabær until March 3, 2013.
Gísli is truly one of the most dynamic
graphic designers in the history of 20th
century Icelandic design. Gísli has taught
graphic design for five decades and has been
an unabating force in promoting awareness
of his profession. In his long professional
career he has also worked at brand creation
and development for many companies and
NGOs in Iceland, having designed—either
by himself or in collaboration with col-
leagues—some of the country’s best-known
logos. Notable mentions include the logo of
the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service
(RÚV), the Norden Association of Iceland
and the Icelandic Heart Association. Gísli
has also designed a number of books and
covers, as well as advertisements in print and
for television.
Gísli’s design bears influence from mod-
ernism, a movement he became acquainted
with in Germany during his studies. His
work and methods have had a significant
impact on the development of graphic
design, in, for example, his work with Iceland
Review, which broke new ground in publish-
ing in Iceland.
The Museum of Design and Applied Art about
the retrospective exhibition Five Decades of
Graphic Design.
The Designer