BIOGRAPHY

Internationally collected contemporary artist Hendrikka Waage continues to expand her evolving art practice through a body of work that explores energy, emotional presence, perception, and the complexity of human attention in contemporary life. Born and raised in Reykjavik and currently splitting her time between London and Iceland, Waage brings a distinctly international perspective to her work, shaped by decades of creative practice and life experiences spanning Japan, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Her paintings merge expressive color, layered texture, and symbolic figuration into compositions that feel both emotionally immediate and deeply contemplative.

Before transitioning fully into painting, Waage spent more than two decades as an acclaimed jewelry designer, an experience that continues to influence her sensitivity to material, balance, texture, and detail. Her now-recognizable “Wonderful Beings” series — often featuring female figures with a single ear — emerged as a reflection on selective listening and the overwhelming nature of modern information culture. Through vibrant surfaces and emotionally charged compositions, Waage explores the idea that not everything demands our attention, inviting viewers instead into a quieter, more intuitive space centered on presence, resonance, and emotional clarity. We recently had the pleasure to chat with the artist to learn more about her work, and current projects.
Her work has been exhibited throughout Europe and the Unites States, earning recognition for its meditative stillness and quiet defiance amid the noise of contemporary culture. Hendrikka devides her time between Reykjavik and London.

Art has always been part of my life. I grew up drawing and painting, and although jewelry design became my first professional creative outlet, the years of the pandemic brought me back to painting.
What began as a personal rediscovery soon evolved into an essential part of my artistic practice and the development of my series, “Wonderful Beings.” Featuring women with a single ear, the series explores the idea of selective listening in today´s information saturated world. I hope my work brings a dynamic presence into a space — something that energizes, uplifts, and continues to evolve with the viewer over time.

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