Kristín Elva Rögnvaldsdóttir, born in 1972, is an Icelandic artist based in Reykjavík. She earned her MA in Fine Art from The Royal Academy of Arts in Stockholm in 2001, following her graduation from The Icelandic College of Art and Crafts in 1998.
Kristína Elva's work aims to connect with the complex and often contradictory emotions found in the everyday moments of life and the natural world around us. She strives to elevate these feelings, allowing the subtlety of emotion and her dreamlike perspective on life to be experienced and appreciated. Through her art, Kristín Elva has transformed her experience of living with chronic illness into a meditative journey of healing. Her works range from dreamlike compositions that emphasise contrasts, lines, and colours, to pieces marked by compulsive repetition. In these, layers of subtle lines, shapes, and hues intertwine, shifting between figurative and abstract forms.
In recent years, she has drawn inspiration for her drawings and sculptures from everyday household items like bottles, baskets, potted plants, and other common containers.
Kristín Elva has participated in various exhibitions, residencies, and festivals, showcasing her work across Iceland and internationally: Residency program Deiglan / Listasafn Akureyrar - The Sequences Festival in Reykjavík, Iceland - Karnal Knowledge an art project of seven nordic artist that toured around Sweden and Iceland, e.g. Trollhättan Art Gallery in Sweden, The Living Art Museum in Iceland - Bitch, The Yellow House, Iceland - Sýning, LÁ Art Museum in Hveragerði, Iceland - Spuni, Gallery Box, Akureyri, Iceland - Hrúga, Vesturveggur at Skaftfell Art Center in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland, in connection with the Skaftfell Residency program.