"Oystercatcher"

The Oystercatcher (Tjaldur) is the favourite bird of my sister and her family. In the summer of 2023 we were spending a lot of time visiting them out in Hrísey, and I decided to make them a little bird quilt of their own.

I spent a good while lying out in the garden with my camera trying to get just the right photo, while they teased me relentlessly for it the whole time — all in good fun, of course.

The quilt became a gift to them in September 2023, and it still hangs in their living room today.

Funnily enough, now that we've moved into the house right next door to them, these oystercatchers have become a bit like our own neighbours too — there are always two or three of them wandering around outside every summer. My daughters do wish they'd keep it down a little at night, though, since the oystercatcher is famous for its loud, shrieking call.

This quilt measures 41 x 30 cm and was made in 2023.

It's currently on loan for my very first solo exhibition, Kashima bútasaumssýning, at Listasumar in Hrísey this weekend (17–18 July).