Welcome to Lánsdottir, an imaginary place

Two years ago in Amsterdam, I saw a display of eight 400-year-old knitted caps that had been found still intact on the skeletons of the whalers who’d worn them. Bundled against the cold, whalers were identified by the colors and patterns of their caps. I come from generations of knitters. My imagination was ignited.

I painted hats and wrote about a group of fictional women who may have knitted them. I thought about my matriarchal family tree, about grandmothers. I painted grandmothers, whales, and seashells. I covered walls with kraft paper and painted the place in my imagination where they all exist. 

Just as I was inspired by the work of the anonymous knitters of the whalers caps, Lánsdottir has inspired another group of storytellers to make an animated short film based in this room as well as a documentary about art and friendship. Filming was completed the first week in January and now it is in the hands of more creatives to craft the final projects. 

Stop by again soon to see more of the installation. I’ve posted very little online in order to allow initial visitors the experience of entering the space without having already consumed the images.