While Tróndur Patursson (b. 1944) is one of the Faroe
Islands’ most respected artists, in recent years his son
Brandur Patursson (b. 1977) has also made a name for
himself on the Faroese art scene. For a number of years,
father and son have been working closely together as artists.

From an early age, Brandur helped his father on artistic
projects; today his father reciprocates in equal measure.
Together the two artists have decorated churches and
other public places with magnificent art, both in the Faroe
Islands and around the world. Despite the fact that their
lives are so interwoven, each of them has his own distinct
artistic expression.

Tróndur Patursson’s work always reflects the forces of
nature, which he has often experienced with his own body
during voyages of adventure on the world’s oceans. Laterally
reversed reflections of nature often depict the infinite space
of the cosmos, in which the boundary between heaven and
earth disappears, and you become one with nature. His
works abound in excitement and drama. Whether on canvas
or made of glass, there is a depth to the colours that make
the works instantly recognisable as his. Tróndur possesses
a special appreciation for colours, and his gleaming tempera
paintings succeed in translating colours into an emotional
language, in which moments are imbued with melancholy.

Brandur Patursson works particularly in the media of glass
and film. Using lights and projectors on large glass shapes,
he produces light, airy reflections – as volatile as a flash of
sunlight. In glass sculptures, which often feature bodily forms,
magical creatures appear, currently evocative of anatomical
x-ray images. Brandur succeeds in portraying the fragility of
human nature. He captures that which the naked eye does
not see. The interior of his glass works is illuminated, and the
space is filled with a vibrant interplay between light, shadows
and soul. His works are full of contrasts: heavy and airy;
tranquil and vibrant; colourful and transparent.

Light and colours play a major role in the works of both father
and son: there is a common use of materials, but a difference
in how they work with this same medium. The motifs are
also common denominators. Repeatedly, they depict nature
in various ways – sometimes in landscape, sometimes in
human form. This exhibition features a number of Tróndur and
Brandur Patursson’s main works, providing us with a golden
opportunity to look back at early works by Tróndur Patursson
on the occasion of his 80th birthday in March.