Baldur Helgason (b. 1984) is an Icelandic artist living and working in Reykjavik. His works depict the human body in a punchy, expressionistic visual style — uniting humour, nostalgia, and mania. Adopting a classic European cartoon aesthetic, Helgason’s art often depicts and subverts the human form, exploring themes of identity, sexuality, and the human condition.
Through his unique visual language, Helgason captures the essence of what it means to be alive in the modern world. His artworks are an explosive mixture of nostalgia, humour, and mania, revealing a deep understanding of the complexity and contradictions that define human nature. By adopting a classic cartoon aesthetic, Helgason imbues his art with a sense of playfulness and irony, inviting us to explore the darker corners of our psyche with a playful and irreverent spirit. His images often depict the human body in all its frailty and vulnerability, confronting us with our own mortality and the impermanence of life.
Recent solo exhibitions include Acts of Worship, Anna Zorina Gallery, New York (2023); Antics, WOAW Gallery, Hong Kong (2022); Bad Timing, Ojiri Gallery, London (2021). Group shows include Good Artists Copy, Bad Artists Steal, Artcurial & Marco Pesarese Fine Art, Munich (2022); 2022 Once Upon a Time a Man Was Glued to a Nose, Matias Sanchez, Gallery Zink, Walkirchen, Germany and Ojiri Gallery London (2022); Báran Létt, Miðin Djúp, Gletta, Borgarfjörður Eystri (2022); Misa Discoveries, Koenig Gallery, Berlin (2021); WoP, WOAW Gallery, Hong Kong (2021 ); Raw Power, Reykjavík Art Museum, Iceland (2021).