ABOUT
PÉTUR BEHRENS
"Painting is easy
when you don´t know how,
but very difficult,
when you do.”
- Edgar Degas -
Pétur Behrens was born in Hamburg 1937. He studied art in Hamburg and Berlin, graduated from Meisterschule für Grafik, Berlin. Visited Iceland for the first time 1959, moved to Iceland in 1963. Taught at the Icelandic College of Art and the Reykjavik School of Art 1978 - 1985.
First exhibition in 1976, has held over twenty solo shows and participated in group exhibitions.
Pétur also worked for many years as a professional horsetrainer and was one of the founders and later honorary member of the Trainers Society. Took part in tournaments in Iceland and abroad and was leader of the Icelandic equipe at several European Championships.
Pétur was also one of the founders of the horse-magazine Eiðfaxi. He was chosen honorary member of the Icelandic Equestrian Association LH.
Together with his wife Marietta Maissen, Pétur bought the farm Höskuldsstaðir in Breiðdalur, East-Iceland 1986, were they worked as artists, translaters, horsebreeders and trainers. In 2010 they moved on to Finnsstaðaholt in the vicinity of Egilsstaðir, where they built a modern stable and a small ridinghall.
As before their interest in the arts continued to take a significant place in their lives and autumn 2015 Marietta and Pétur got the chance to rent a nice place in the centre of Egilsstaðir. There they opened their artists workshop and gallery in December the same year.
ABOUT
MARIETTA MAISSEN
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
- Pablo Picasso -
Drawings by Alois Maissen,
father of Marietta Maissen
Marietta Maissen was born 1958 and grew up in the mountainvillage Laax in Switzerland.
Her father was interested in the arts and that had a profound influence on his youngest daughter. Marietta became acquainted with Icelandic horses in early childhood and later she took part in competitions. She was twice a member of the Swiss team at European Championships.
In the early eighties she met Pétur Behrens, an artist who iss also a dedicated horseman living in Iceland. She moved to Iceland in 1982 and 1983 enrolled in Myndlista og handiða-skolinn, the Icelandic College of Art. In 1987 she graduated as a graphic designer. Nevertheless the horses went on to be her great passion.
Together with her husband Pétur Behrens Marietta bought the farm Höskuldsstaðir in Breiðdalur in East-Iceland 1986. There they worked as artists, translaters, horsebreeders and trainers.
2010 they moved to Finnsstaðaholt in the vicinity of Egilsstaðir, where they built a modern stable and a small ridinghall.
As before their interest in the arts continued to take a significant place in their lives and autumn 2015 Marietta and Pétur got the chance to rent a nice place in the centre of Egilsstaðir. There they opened their artists workshop and gallery in December the same year.