Utsuri
Paintings made with natural dyes exploring reflection and the relationship between material and landscape.

Utsuri continues Sigmundur P. F.’s exploration of his relationship with nature through textile-based paintings made with natural dyes. The works take inspiration from reflections in nature,  particularly the shifting surfaces of water, and from the act of reflection itself. In a time when everything competes for attention, the simple act of pausing and observing nature can become something quietly radical. The title Utsuri refers to reflection and subtle transformation, the way surfaces shift between image, landscape and perception.

The works are created through a layered process using natural dyes from Iceland and Japan combined with various earth pigments. Each colour is mixed by hand and built slowly through multiple layers. While the palette is carefully developed through years of research into natural dyeing, the act of painting itself remains intuitive. Using traditional Japanese brushes associated with Katazome dyeing, the marks emerge through a balance of control and intuition, allowing the material and surface to guide the movement of the brush.

Material plays an important role in the work. Larger pieces are made on Belgian linen canvas,  traditionally associated with painting, while smaller works are created on ramie from Kyoto, a fibre long used in Japanese textile traditions. These different surfaces shape how colour moves and settles across the work.

Though abstract, the works remain closely tied to the landscape. They do not depict specific places, yet they often evoke them through colour, rhythm and surface, much like reflections in water can resemble distant horizons or shifting terrain.

Utsuri continues the development of Sigmundur’s practice following his exhibition Núna / Ima in Kyoto in 2025. While rooted in textile processes and natural dyeing, this body of work moves further into painting, allowing colour, gesture and material to take the lead.