List of Icelandic visual artists

Art has existed in Iceland since the first settlements, but it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that Icelandic artists came to an international reputation. Mostly, they had studied in other countries, e.g. in Denmark.

The most important motifs for Icelandic painters were the nature of their home country and the human being, but they also used mythical and supernatural themes as well as socio-realistic motives.

Around 1960 the Swiss-German artist Dieter Roth moved to Iceland. His engagement with the Icelandic art scene was of great importance in introducing movements such as conceptual art, Fluxus, happenings, body art, life art and social sculpture, which since have formed a basis for Icelandic Contemporary Art.[1]