Eva Brá Barkardóttir is an Icelandic artist based in London. She has a BA in fashion design from Iceland Academy of the Arts (2012) and an MA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art (2021). She is a 2020 recipient of the Chelsea Arts Club Trust grant.
The scenes in Eva’s work, some real some imagined, are half-obscured symbols, warnings and messages, searching for a precarious balance between the contradictions we inhabit in day-to-day life. Her practice is informed by her fascination for opposites: Science and magic; ecologies entropy. Drawing inspiration from dystopian narratives in popular culture, folk tales from her Nordic heritage and her study of horticulture, her paintings portray glimpses of surreal multi-scapes.
Eva is the cofounder of inhouse art and Elm as well as being the founder of Anddyri Reykjavík. Inhouse is a curatorial project showcasing early to mid career artists work at True House in London. Elm is a female led floral and horticultural design collective and Anddyri is an experimental pop-up art space. Her work has been acquired by private collectors in England, Iceland and Germany.
Education
SEPTEMBER 2019 - 2020
MA FINE ART, CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ARTS
2018 - 2019
FINE ART GRADUATE DIPLOMA, CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ARTS
2013 - 2015
MA ART EDUCATION, ICELAND ACADEMY OF THE ARTS
JANUARY 2015 - JUNE 2015
ERASMUS EXCHANGE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, JAN EVANGELISTA PURKYNĚ UNIVERSITY
2008 - 2012
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN FASHION DESIGN, ICELAND ACADEMY OF THE ARTS
Selected Exhibitions and projects
2023 - Vegsummerki/ Traces in Anddyri Reykjavík. An exhibition in Iceland with Maryam Hina Hasnain, Holly English and Anders Aarvik.
2023 - Altered Plaines, a Chelsea College alumni exhibition kindly supported by Metre Squared
2023 - 13 Soho square, end of residency exhibition
2023 - The Earth Vision residency, a two month residency in Soho.
2022 - Elephant Arcade, a pop up exhibition with 6 Chelsea alumni, kindly supported by Meanwhile Space
2022 - True House, works on show in True Global's headquarters in Buckingham Gate
2021 - Revenge of the Real at Rupture Exhibit and Kate Howe Studios. Curated by Lizzie Cardoso, Julia White and Stephen Nulty
2021 - Chelsea College of Arts degree show for 19/20 and 20/21 MA Fine Art students
2021 - Language - Art Project 2020-1 UAL
2021 - MOSTYN Gallery / My Online Bedroom in collaboration with Queer Direct
2020 - Late at Tate - Short film shown in a set of one-minute film compilation by about 70 artist from Chelsea College
2020 - The Waiting Residency - A conceptual artist residency founded by artist Claudia Sambo
2020 - UAL Graduate Showcase - An online platform showcasing the works of UAL graduates
2020 - Portportlandland September Issue - Featured in issue 196 Open Borders
2020 - The Shop Front 285 group exhibition with emerging artists from CCW and RCA
2020 - Chelsea Arts Club exhibition with current recipients of the CAC trust.
2020 - Exhibition collaboration with Holly English in SVA gallery Stroud, (Now imagine) you are old and a friend is brushing your hair
2020 - Charity auction for the Chelsea Arts Club Trust at Chelsea Arts Club, painting donated for the charity auction
2020 - Group exhibition, Hanover Space - We need to talk about it
2020 - Launched a spare room gallery in my flat in south London with two other artists, Hanover Space (instagram: @hanover_space)
2020 - Group exhibition, 10 MAFA students, Cookhouse gallery - Mapping
2019 - Group exhibition for the end of MAFA first term, Chelsea College of Arts - Unit 1
2019 - Part of a 6 person curatorial team for the end of first term exhibition, Chelsea College of Arts
2019 - Group exhibition, 10 MAFA students, Cookhouse gallery - Side Bar
2019 - Group exhibition, MAFA students, Chelsea College of Arts - In transition
2019 - Graduation show from Graduate Diploma in Fine Art, Chelsea College of Arts - Final Art
2019 - Group exhibition in Safehouse gallery - Safehouse 1 and 2
Awards
2019 - Material and research award from the Chelsea Arts Club Trust
http://www.chelseaartsclubtrust.org/eva-bra-barkardottir/
Publications
2020 - The Norn issue - A body of critical articles looking into spiritual botany, sustainability in the arts, witchcraft and feminism
2020 - Portportlandland September Issue - Featured in issue 196 Open Borders
MAFAzine - an online zine publication by MA Fine Art students from Chelsea College of Arts