Iceland review - 2016, Síða 22

20
Stígur on Skólavörðustígur, downtown
Reykjavík, along with four other artists,
and his work is also for sale at Gallerí
List. The pieces are as colorful as their
creator and just as unconventional. The
most impressive glaze of all is a deep
red, found on many of the large vases.
The texture is rough and reminiscent of
lava. “When making the glaze, I add too
much of one substance to increase the
dryness,” Bjarni explains of his technique
developed over many years.
There are utility items, such as cups
and bowls, but no two alike, since all
are handmade, along with decorative
pieces, such as his flower collection.
When Bjarni describes the difficulty of
making the colorful flowers any taller
than they are, it becomes obvious that
this charming man has great acting abili-
ties: he humorously poses like one of the
flowers, tilts his body and almost loses
his balance. “I want to make them taller,
but the stem creates a balance problem…
see.” And then there are the tiny houses,
in which you place a candle, so their
windows illuminate. On the top shelf
stand tall vases in striking colors of red,
green and blue—some shaped like a giant
drop, others oval, all demanding your
attention. And visitors sure have noticed.
Bjarni says the orders keep pouring in,
and he’s as busy as ever. A store called
ABC Carpet & Home in New York
carries his items; he receives numerous
orders from Denmark and Norway, and
now an Indian company has placed a
large order for the decorative houses.
Bjarni, the talented teller, has become
a successful ceramicist. This man is on
fire—his ideas flowing and helping shape
the landscape of Icelandic ceramics.
Breaking out of the bank unleashed an
invaluable creative force; perhaps, while
in the bank, his inner voice was already
singing, “I want to break free.” *
ART