There is a gallery tucked away on the fourth floor of the British Museum dedicated to the museum’s collection of prints. Away from the mummies, the anthropological artefacts and more questionable objects in the collections, it’s a space that often has some very interesting temporary exhibitions.

Opened in October, a free exhibition Nordic noir features print artworks from more than 100 artists from countries across the north of Europe - Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. It takes a particular focus on art from the mid-20th century onwards.

With so many artworks, the exhibition offers many different styles, approaches and messages in the featured art. So I’ve chosen four artworks that caught my eye - all of which date from the past few years.

This print shows three Sámi figures travelling through a snowy landscape. The figures each wear a red hat horn-shaped called ládjogahpir. These hats were used from around 1700 to 1900, but fell out of usage from around 1850 onwards as they were condemned by Christian groups for resembling devil horns.

Norwegian artist Vibeke Slyngstad here focuses on a beautiful wildflower meadow, alive with colourful flowers and verdant greenery. The location of these flowers is a patch of wasteland in Shuafat, a mainly Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem where the artist has been visiting since 2019.

The level of detail in this charcoal artwork by Anna Zimmerman is staggering. At almost a metre and a half in height, it feels ultra-realistic with every fold and ruffle of the theatrical historical costume visible.

This woodcut print by Icelandic artist Rajnar Kjartansson initially seems simple, though more details around the woodgrain are revealed on a closer look. It is one of a series of seven large woodcuts focusing on flames - touching on the important symbolism of fire for Nordic art and cultures.

Thank you for reading + until next time,