Herdís Hlíf (b. 1999) is a Reykjavík-based artist whose practice centers on classical, figurative oil painting with strong references to Renaissance traditions and art history. A graduate of the Iceland University of the Arts in 2023, she approaches painting as emotional inquiry and a technical pursuit.

Her works, often self-portraits, are at once dreamy, vulnerable, and challenging. Through them, she delves into her own experiences and inner life, using painting as a tool of self-exploration and communication. By weaving personal narratives together with symbols and references from cultural history, she creates a dialogue between past and present, intimacy and universality, expression and silence. Viewers are invited to mirror themselves in her imagery, entering spaces that blur the line between the individual and the collective human condition.

Alongside her studio practice, Herdís has received recognition and support for her work, including a 2021 grant from the Student Innovation Fund for a collaborative children’s book on environmental issues, Mjálmar (Stundin, 2021). Her exhibition history spans Iceland, Italy, and the UK, with recent solo shows including Á bláþræði (Portfolio Gallery, Reykjavík, 2024) and FRAGMENTS (Asylum Studios, Suffolk, 2025).