Shoplifter (Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, b. 1969) is one of Iceland’s leading contemporary artists, born in Reykjavik and based in New York since 1994. Shoplifter is best known for her work made primarily with both synthetic and natural hair, her sculptures, wall murals and site-specific installations explore themes of vanity, self-image, fashion, beauty and popular myth. For Shoplifter, hair is the ultimate thread that grows from our body. Hair is an original, creative fibre, a way for people to distinguish themselves as individuals, and often an art form. Humour plays a large role in her life and work, sometimes subtly, but at other times taking over.
Shoplifter represented Iceland at the Venice Biennale in 2019 and her multi sensory large scale installation Chromo Sapiens opened at the Icelandic Pavilion at the 58th La Biennale di Venezia in Italy in May 2019. The installation later travelled to Iceland, opening at the Reykjavik Art Museum in January 2020. Pilchuck School of Glass invited Shoplifter for Artist in Residence in 2022 that started her on the path to working on a new body of glass artwork combining organic glass shapes and fibres to make otherworldly curiosities.
Other recent work includes solo exhibitions at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Stockholm, Sweden (2020), The Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia (2020), Kiasma, the Finnish National Gallery (2019), the National Gallery of Iceland (2017), the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (2017) and the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art in Australia (2016). Notable projects and awards include her large window installation created in collaboration with art collective avaf (assume vivid astro focus) for MoMA, Museum of Modern Art in New York (2008), The Nordic Award in Textiles and The Prince Eugen Medal for artistic achievement from the King and Royal Crown of Sweden (2011).
Shoplifter is the co-founder of Höfuðstöðin, a new art centre in Reykjavik, Iceland, where her installation Chromo Sapiens is permanently located. Höfuðstöðin also features a café, bar, design shop and an event venue, celebrating human connection through art and creativity.