Be Not Afraid
Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson (IS)
10/12-10/01/2026
Look at the larva on the leaf.
Look how glad it is.
It only sees green.
It only sees leaves.
And it loves to eat them.
The larva has no wish to fly.
But if it keeps on eating like this,
flight is inevitable.
It hears only the steady crunch
of its own small labor
until its jaws grow weary,
and the wings begin to speak.
The wings have a voice of their own.
You can only ignore them for so long.
When you refuse their advice,
things go wrong.
Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson graduated from the Iceland University of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2020. In his works, Einar offers a critical perspective on both society and painting: by transforming and recontextualizing historical art movements, he addresses the human condition in the modern era. Exploring human existence in its interconnectedness, lack of context, and absurdity, he draws on a rapidly changing society that disables human reflection and inner contemplation.
Supported by SCCF
Graphic design: Elīna Salnāja
Poem: Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson
Photo: Lidija Zaneripa un Ieva Viese
Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson (IS)
10/12-10/01/2026
Look at the larva on the leaf.
Look how glad it is.
It only sees green.
It only sees leaves.
And it loves to eat them.
The larva has no wish to fly.
But if it keeps on eating like this,
flight is inevitable.
It hears only the steady crunch
of its own small labor
until its jaws grow weary,
and the wings begin to speak.
The wings have a voice of their own.
You can only ignore them for so long.
When you refuse their advice,
things go wrong.
Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson graduated from the Iceland University of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2020. In his works, Einar offers a critical perspective on both society and painting: by transforming and recontextualizing historical art movements, he addresses the human condition in the modern era. Exploring human existence in its interconnectedness, lack of context, and absurdity, he draws on a rapidly changing society that disables human reflection and inner contemplation.
Supported by SCCF
Graphic design: Elīna Salnāja
Poem: Einar Lúðvík Ólafsson
Photo: Lidija Zaneripa un Ieva Viese