FRIENDS,, handfelted Icelandic wool and fish line

Anna Gunnarsdottir is a Textile Artist residing in Akureyri, Iceland. 

Focusing on the traditional felt making technique, Anna combines it with a contemporary, fresh approach. She has developed her own unique way of felting, where her signature has a strong sense of Scandinavian and minimal art. Anna´s work is based on the idea of light and shadow, creating large sculptures and 3D wall pieces for both indoor and outdoor use. 

Anna has gained international recognition for her sculptural work, exhibited in various countries such as Australia, USA, UK, Germany Sweden and France.

Anna is a member of   PRISM – textile inspired art, exhibition group, London, UK. 

Association of Icelandic Visual Artists – SÍM and Textile Association of Iceland 

 

 

Working in my studio

SNOWBALLS. handfelted wool

Icelandic wool

The Icelandic wool has kept the nation warm for more than 1100 years. Originally, the sheep was brought here from Norway by the settlers and without it Iceland would have been uninhabitable. The sheep´s wool served as protection from the biting cold of the harsh northern climate. As a breed, the Iceland Sheep is unique, its purity has been protected by centuries of isolation and a total absence of contact with others. Therefore the wool it produces has no counterpart anywhere. Due to the absence of contact with other breeds, the Icelandic sheep still carries characteristics long disappeared from their relatives in the neighbouring countries. The wool has a distinctive combination of inner (thel) and outer (tog) fibres. The outer fibres consists of long and coarse hair with water repellent qualities. The inner layer of fibres are fine, soft and insulating, providing a high resistance to cold. Combining the two provides an exceptional thread for producing clothing that gives warmth in spite of getting wet. The Icelandic wool is; • Lightweight - lighter than most other wools, keeps you warm and comfortable. • Water-repellent - repels rain and stays feeling dry. • Breathable - moisture passes through the fibres away from the skin, keeping you dry and comfortable. The fleece differs depending on the age of the animal, whereas lamb’s wool is the softest and finest but old rams bear the roughest wool. The four basic colours of the Icelandic breed are black, white, yellow and moorit with numerous combinations and colour patterns, such as badger face, grey or moorit mofloun and other bi-colour variations. Although many will admit to having a soft spot for various colour patterns, the white wool is the most sought-after, and therefore the most common sheep colour in Iceland.

HÚN - SHE.

Hún reis úr iðrum jarðar eftir langa veru í myrkri, nú breiðir hún anga mót sólu og bjartari tímum