Baldur Helgason’s animation-inspired oil paintings actually function as a “self-portrait,” as the artist has created an avatar of himself that he places in situations that have notes of art history and contemporary living. Through the more exaggerated and duplicated aspects of this character, he’s able to explore cerebral and personal themes.
“Baldur Helgason’s work deals with the human figure, at times abstracting it into simple minimal forms and more frequently into repetitive expressionistic explosions,” Galerie F says. “The subject typically alludes to the everyman, often referencing art history and popular culture, and employing a cartoon like style that reminds us of childhood, a sense of play, causing us to recall the past yet still taking us to that space where anxiety and humor often intersect. In this body of introspective work Baldur has been exploring the existential dread of living as a foreigner in today’s America.”
See more of his work below.
