BIO

Sunneva Ása Weisshappel (b. 1989) is an Icelandic visual artist based in Reykjavík. She works across various mediums, including painting, sculpture, performance, and video art.

Weisshappel earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Fine Art from Goldsmiths, University of London, and the Iceland University of the Arts, graduating in the spring of 2024. She previously obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from the Iceland University of the Arts in 2013. Her academic background also includes studies in contemporary dance and classical ballet, further enriching her multidisciplinary approach to art.

Her work is represented by two galleries: Robilant + Voena, an Italian gallery with locations in London, Milan, New York, and Paris, and Þula, an Icelandic gallery that primarily represents her work in Scandinavia. In 2024, Þula showcased her works at the Market Art Fair in Stockholm, one of the leading contemporary art fairs in the Nordic region.

Through her artistic practice, Weisshappel explores themes of femininity, time, beauty, and aggression. Her work is a subversive excavation of emotional and psychological landscapes, drawing the viewer in with a juxtaposition of softness and grit—expressed through motifs such as hair, paint, lace, and rust. Her artworks have been exhibited both nationally and internationally, and she has participated in various art residencies. She has been active in the visual arts scene since completing her BA.

In 2013, she founded Algera Studio, a workshop, gallery, and residency in Reykjavík, which operated for four years as a vital research space for emerging artists in Iceland.

Beyond her fine art practice, Weisshappel has an extensive career in cinema and theatre. She has directed and worked on several music videos that have received award nominations in Iceland and Europe.

As a production designer, she has collaborated with director Baltasar Kormákur, RVK Studios, Netflix, and Focus Features, with notable credits including Netflix’s psychological sci-fi series Katla and Iceland’s highest-rated TV show Trapped. She was also the production designer for the feature film Touch (2022–2023), shot in Iceland, the United States, and Japan, which was shortlisted for an Oscar nomination in 2025.

In theatre, Weisshappel has designed costumes and prosthetic makeup for various productions, spanning drama, opera, and dance. To name some of her works, she designed costumes for Hamlet in Germany, Wagner’s opera Siegfried, and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet in Munich, in collaboration with choreographer Erna Ómarsdóttir. In Iceland, she created the costumes for Njála at Reykjavík City Theatre, for which she won the Gríman Award for Best Costume Design in 2015. Her theatre work often blurs the line between visual art and performance, incorporating costumes, video art, movement, installations, and stage design.

NEWS

Odd Girl Out

September 14, 2023 - October 19, 2023

Robilant + Voena, Parke-Bernet Galleries building, 980 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10075

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Flagð // Jezebel

July 8, 2023 - August 6, 2023

Þula, Grandagarður 20 - Marshallhúsið, Reykjavík, Iceland

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Sunneva Ása Weisshappel

March 25, 2022 - May 20, 2022

38 Dover Street, London W1S 4NL

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CV

Education

2023-2024    Iceland University of the Arts, M.F.A. Fine Art.

2021-2022     Goldsmiths University of London, M.F.A. Fine Art.

2009-2013     Iceland University of the Arts, B.A. Fine Art.

2009-2011      Klassíski Listdanskólinn, Contemporary dance.

2005-2008    Fjölbrautarskólinn í Breiðholti, Visual Art.

1997-2006     Listdansskóli Íslands, Contemporary Dance and Classical Ballet.

 

Solo Exhibitions (selected)

2024            Amid the Silence, Kubburinn, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2023            Odd Girl Out, Robilant+Voena, New York, USA.

2023            Jezebel, Þula, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2022            New Work, Robilant+Voena, London, England.

2021             Umbreyting, Þula, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2018             Metamorphosis, Gallerí Port, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2018             Sugar Wounds No.04, Ármúli 7, Reykjavik, Iceland.

2012             Ylhýra, Kaffistofan, Reykjavík, Iceland.

 

Group Exhibitions (selected)

2024              Rætur að rekja – hin örþunna íðilrót, Nýlistarsafnið, RVK, Iceland.

2022             Our Body Are Portal, Asylum Chapel in Peckham, London, England.

2021              Vol.no 1, Þula, Hjartatorg, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2020             Tíðarandi, Listasafn Árnesinga, Hveragerði, Iceland.

2018              Sugar Wounds No.01, Ármúli 7, Reykjavik, Iceland.

2018              Raunir, B Plan Art Festival, Borgarnes, Iceland.

2015              Hörund, Kynleikar, Ekkisens, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2015              Dauðaherbergið, Lunga Art Festival, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.

2015              Hera/Hóra, Algera Fiesta Flow, Algera Studio, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2015              Flaggskip, Hávaði, Ekkisens, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2015             The Death Room, off-venue Sequences Art Festival VII, Algera Studio, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2014             Bæjarleyfi, Ekkisens, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2014             Hrekkjavaka, Algera Studio, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2014             Natura Mater, Umbreyting Einars, Listasafn Einars Jónssonar, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2013             Hávaði, Kaffistofan, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2013             Welcome: Play Me and Do You Want to Ride? Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2013             Stabi Project, Ateliers de Bitche, Nantes, France.

2012             Snertu Mig, Kaffistofan, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2011             Homies Where My Heart Is, Laufásvegur basement, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2011             Welcome to The Greenhouse, Sequences Art Festival, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2010            Me to The Export of The It, Lunga Art Festival, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.

2010            Do Not Cover, Æringur Art Festival, Stöðvafjörður, Iceland.

 

Cinema work

2022-        Touch, Production design, Rvk Studios and Focus Features, Iceland.
2023

2020-        Trapped III, Production design, Rvk Studios and Netflix, Iceland.
2021

2019-         Katla, Production Design, Rvk Studios and Netflix, Iceland.
2020  

2017           Mules, Actress, Rvk Studios, Iceland.

 

Theatre work

2019         Zoo, Future X, Director, Sydhavn Theater, Copenhagen, Denmark.

2018         Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare and Prokofiev, Costume design,

                 State Theatre at Gärtnerplatz, Munich, Germany.

2018         Die verlorene Oper, Ruhrepos, Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, Costume design,

                 Staatstheater Hannover, Germany.

2017         Guð Blessi Íslands, Costume design, Reykjavík City Theater, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2017         Siegfried, The Ring of the Nibelung, Richard Wagner, Costume, Choreography, and

                 Video Design, Staatsoper Karlsruhe, Germany.

2017         Álfahöllin, Costume design, National Theater of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2017         Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Costume, and Art Design, Staatstheater Hannover, Germany.

2016         Óþello, William Shakespeare by Vesturport, Costume design,

                 National Theater of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2016         Othello, William Shakespeare, Costume Design and Choreography,

                 Staatsschauspiel, Dresden, Germany.

2016         Enemy of the Duck (Enemy of the People + The Wild Duck), Ibsen, Costume Design

                 and Choreography, Norwegian National Theatre, Oslo, Norway.

2016         Mutter Courage and her Children, Costume, and Video Design, Bertolt Brecht,

                 Hessian State Theatre of Wiesbaden, Germany.

2015         Njála, Costume design, Reykjavík City Theater, Iceland.

 

Video art and music videos (selected)

2023       Odd Girl, exhibited at Odd Girl Out, R+V, New York, USA.

2021        Self Portrait, exhibited at New Work, R+V, London, England and Physical Cinema festival,

                Bíó Paradís, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2018        What’s Your Secret, music video for the Icelandic rock band Mammút.

2018        Salt, music video for the Icelandic rock band, Mammút.

2018        Ró, music video for the Icelandic rock band, Mammút.

2016        Goldiggaz, music video for the French pop band, We Are Z.

2016        Crazy Little You, music video for the band, Cryptochrome.

2015        Óráð, music video for Icelandic Reggie band, Amabadama.

2015        Blood Burst, the music video for the Icelandic rock band Mammút.

2014        The Rose, video artwork exhibited Bæjarleyfi, Ekkisens, Reykjavík, Iceland

2014        Síðasti dansinn, music video for Chamber Orchestra; Kúbus, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2014        The Backbone, music video for the Icelandic band Rökkurró.

2014        Þau Svæfa, the music video for the Icelandic rock band Mammút.

2013        Do You Want to Ride, experimental movie, Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2011         Nine, experimental video artwork, Icelandic University of the Arts, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2011         Flaggskip, video artwork exhibited at Hávaði, Ekkisens, Reykjavík, Iceland.

2011         Hress Með Nananana, video artwork series, Home is Where my Hart Is, Reykjavík, Iceland.   

2009       Golden Dick Dance, video art performance, Reykjavík, Iceland.

 

Work experience (selected)

2017         Artist in residency program, Disco Art Festival, Oqaatsut, Greenland.

2016         Artist in residency program at Le Wonder, Paris, France.

2015         Í Næsta Lífi, performer in music video, XXX Rottweiler Hundar.

2014-       Manager of Algera Studio, artist studios, residency program and exhibition space,

2017         Reykjavík, Iceland.

2014         Performer in the music video Crossfade, directed by Tommy Kha, for the band GusGus.

2009        Performer in Democracy is a Mishmash of Dead Animals in a Bun, by Steinunn Gunnlaugsdóttir.

2009        Performer in the film Baby Bird, directed by Katrín Ólafsdóttir.

 

Nominations and awards

2022        Nominated for the best production design, at Eddan the Icelandic Cinema awards for Katla,

                 RvkStudios/Netflix, Reykjavík, Iceland

2019         Nominated for the best dance/choreography show of the year at the German Faust awards,

                 for Romeo and Juliet, Costume design, State Theatre at Gärtnerplatz, Munich, Germany.

2017         Nominated as costume designer of the year at Gríman, the Icelandic performing art awards,    

                 for God Bless Iceland, Reykjavík City Theater, Iceland.

2016         Nominated for a theatre performance of the year at Heddaprisen, The Norwegian Theater

                 Awards, for Enemy of the Duck, Costume Design and Choreography, Norwegian National

                 Theatre, Oslo, Norway.

2015         Costume Designer of the year, at Gríman, the Icelandic performing art awards, for Njála,

                 Reykjavík City Theater, Iceland

2015         Nominated for music video of the year, at Northern Wave film festival for Óráð, Director,

                 Reykjavík, Iceland.

2015         Nominated for music video of the year, at Northern Wave film festival for Blood Burst,

                 Director, Grundafjörður, Iceland.

2014         Nominated for music video of the year, Þau Svæfa, at the Nordic Music Awards, Director,

                 Oslo, Norway.

2014         Nominated at the Northern Wave film festival for Þau Svæfa, Director, Grundafjörður, Iceland.

2014         Nominated for music video of the year, at the Icelandic Music Awards, The Backbone, Director,

                 Reykjavík, Iceland.

2014         Nominated for music video of the year, at Northern Wave film festival, The Backbone, Director,

                 Grundafjörður, Iceland.

2013         Album Cover of the Year, at the Icelandic Music Awards for the cover design of the album

                 Komdu til mín Svarta Systir, Mammút, Reykjavík, Iceland.