Sonja Margrét Ólafsdóttir - Roots

Our identity and sense of self is deeply rooted in our development from an early age. Just like plants, our roots provide stability, nourishment and make sure we don’t lose our way.

“My own family’s roots are firmly planted in the rural district of Hrunamannahreppur, and the “Roots” exhibition covers our family history and surroundings while tracing the footsteps of my youth. I come from four generations of women who all grew up in the area, and like them, I also took my first steps within those landscapes.”
-Sonja Margrét Ólafsdóttir

As we grow up and mature in line with the changing seasons and times, those places and landscapes have a profound influence on our identities and become an integral part of us.

“Sonja Margrét Ólafsdóttir’s photographs show everyday scenes and places but also have an air of mystery: Where are these places? Who are these people and what connects these images? In fact, they document Sonja’s visits to the village where she grew up and where she still has family, though she moved away years ago. The photographs are an attempt to evoke the past and to renew her ties to the places of her youth. We can think of the places where we ourselves spent our childhood and the memories we associate with them, pleasant or painful. Our environment, especially our childhood homes, shapes our experiences and our lives.” -Jón Proppé

Sonja Margrét Ólafsdóttir was born in 1988. She grew up in Flúðir in Hrunamannahreppur, but now lives in Reykjavík. She graduated from the School of Photography in January 2019. She also studied at the University of Iceland where she graduated in 2014 with a BA degree in Art History.