Ýr Jóhannsdóttir - Textile designer and artist - based in Iceland
Image by Studio Fræ
Ýr Jóhannsdóttir is a textile designer and artist from Iceland, based in Reykjavík, working under the name Ýrúrarí. Her work is mostly knitted, where fragments of humor, body movements and the everyday meets in wool based, often wearable, objects. For the past years the importance of sustainability has had an impact to Ýrúrarí’s work. In her latest projects “Sweater sauce”, “I would not do something like that” and Sleik-zine Ýrúrarí raises questions on our absurd consumption habits of textiles and tries out new ways of making unwanted clothes last longer as a one of a kind art- and design pieces. Ýr is also one of four members of the multiart and performance group CGFC.
Ýr studied textile design at Reykjavík School of Visual Arts and got her BA in textile design from Glasgow School of Art in 2017. Her work has been showcased in art- and design spaces in Iceland such as Gallerý Port, Ekkisens, Reykjavík Art Museum and Museum of Design. Her work has also been shown in interesting spaces such as, WIP residency at Textile Art Center in New York, Firskars Village Art & Design Biennale and The Smithsonian Design Museum. Pieces by Ýrúrarí can now be found in the collections of Textiel Museum in The Netherlands, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Germany, National museum of Scotland and Museum of International folk Art in New Mexico. Articles and publications of her work can be found on Vogue.com, Designboom, Vice, Die Zeit, Iceland Review and more. Ýrúrarí has collaborated and custom made wearable pieces for artists such as Erykah Badu, Tierra Whack, Sheidlina, Noel Fielding and Icelandic musicians.
Current and upcoming 2024:
-Workshop at Ungdommens Folkemöde, Copenhagen 4th of September
-Lecture at Friday night knitting at Pakhusstrik in Copenhagen 6th of September
-Workshop at The Nordic Baltic youth summit in Vilnius 27th of September
Projects and recognition
2024
-Smá flís collaboration with 66 North at DesignMarch
-Pizza Time with Flétta and Ýrúrarí at 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen
-Rethink Design project with Kvadrat at 3daysofdesign
2023
-Winner of “Project of the year” at the annual Icelandic design awards
-”Nærvera” exhibition at The Museum of Design and Applied Arts (ICE) and at “Stof til eftertanke” at Nordatlantens brygge (DK)
-Pizza Time by Flétta and Ýrúrarí at Design March in Reykjavík, live event felting woolpizzas with leftovers from the Icelandic wool industry
-Workshop at Folkemödet in Bornholm (DK) at the Nordic committee tent, Risör Kunstpark and Helsinki Fashion week
2022
-Þæfingur; Collaboration with studio Flétta, finding new paths for Icelandic wool leftovers. Showcased in gallery Epal, funded by Iceland design funding
- Design and healing, piece in group exhibition at The Smithsoninan Design Museum
-Participation in group exhibition U-joint:Knots & Knits at Fiskars Village Art&Design Biennale in Finland
-Workshops traveled to Tivoli and Pakhusstrik in Chopenhagen, MAK Vienna, Konfekt in Hamburg and KnitKnit in Berlin
2021
-Lecturer and workshop host at the annual Pictoplasma conference in Berlin
-Nominated for the Icelandic design awards for the project Peysa með öllu (Sweater sauce)
-Peysa með öllu, fyrir alla: Five month open studio and visible mending workshops at The Museum of Design in Iceland
-Raw Power, participation in a group exhibition at Reykjavík Art Museum
- Kartöflur: Flysjaðar , radio play in three chapters for Icelands national radio station, writing and acting with CGFC
2021
-Lecturer and workshop host at the annual Pictoplasma conference in Berlin
-Nominated for the Icelandic design awards for the project Peysa með öllu (Sweater sauce)
-Peysa með öllu, fyrir alla: Five month open studio and visible mending workshops at The Museum of Design in Iceland
-Raw Power, participation in a group exhibition at Reykjavík Art Museum
- Kartöflur: Flysjaðar , radio play in three chapters for Icelands national radio station, writing and acting with CGFC
-BIEN, artist talk in the bi-annual textile festival in Slovenia
2020
-”Play of the year” Nomination by the national theatre award in Iceland for the stage performance Kartöflur by CGFC
-”Attunement” participation in virtual exhibition for London Design week
-“Peysa með öllu” collaboration with the Red Cross at Design March
-Knitted face mask sculptures. Added to the Collections of Textiel Museum in The Netherlands, Museum of International Folk art in Santa Fe and The Tatter Blue Textile Library in NYC
2019
-Breaking the pattern lecture and up-cycle knit workshop thought in knitting festival in Blönduós Iceland, Skals Denmark, TAC in NY and the bi-annual knitting conference in Nordic Museum in Seattle
-Kartöflur (potatoes) co-created stage performance for Reykjavík city theatre with CGFC
-”I would not do something like that” solo exhibition at Gallery Port Reykjavík
-Matters & Strata collaboration installation in Vigdísar Veröld for Design March in Reykjavík
-“Work in progress program” in the window of the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan
- Granted by the Iceland’s government artist salary and Iceland design fund for working on the machine knitting project Þættir
2018
-NES-Lukas art residency scholarship, including two months stay in residencies in Germany and Iceland with artist talks and open studios
-Small up-cycled jumper line in the group exhibition Endalaust in DUUS hús autumn 2018
-Participated in the Scottish-Icelandic project SHIFT with exhibitions in Reykjavík and Inverness
-Curated and participated in the annual Icelandic Textile association exhibition Verðum í bandi
2017
-Travelled around Iceland, Faroe Islands, Finland and Sweden with the performance Headliner by CGFC. Granted by Nordisk kultur fund.
-Graduated with BA in textile design from Glasgow School of Art
-”Highly recommended” by the UK textile association for the project 556 Holy mountains
2016
-Sweater story solo exhibition at Ekkisens artspace, Reykjavík, Iceland
-Finished a diploma in Textile design from Reykjavík school of visual Arts
2015
-Radio activity Radio drama & performance with live knitting, CGFC at Platform Nord, Kristianssand, Norway
-Featured Artist at first stop of the travelling Feminist fiber art exhibition in Boston, US
-"Genitalia" group exhibition celebrating genitals at Design March, Reykjavík, Iceland
-"Nokkrir vel valdir vessar" installation at Exhibition night, Kópavogur, Iceland
2014
-Ég er steinn exhibition on culture night in Reykjavík
2012
-Monsters, first knitted jumper line, made in creative summer jobs in hometown Kópavogur