Louisa Matthiasdottir demonstrates a mastery of color and brushwork in her bold and brightly colored representational paintings. One of her most recurring subjects is the Icelandic countryside, near her hometown of Reykjavik. She translates the strong outlines of a hill, sheep, or house through blocky marks to project a tangible sense of environment. The paintings are simple in their crisp straightforwardness, but complex in their unique coloration and varied perspective. Matthiasdottir was born in Reykjavik, Iceland (1917). She studied art in Copenhagen and Paris, later moving to New York to study with abstract-expressionist teacher Hans Hofmann. Her works have been internationally and nationally exhibited at Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, WA; Maier Museum of Art in Lynchburg, VA; The Reykjavik Municipal Art Museum, Iceland; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA; Art Institute of Chicago, IL; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA; National Academy Museum, and The Studio School, both New York, NY, among many others. Additionally, she was curated into the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial Exhibition in 1973. Her works are in the notable collections of Tate Gallery, London; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; and the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois. Matthiasdottir passed away in 2000 in Delhi, NY.
