Photo courtesy of the artist
Fuglakvæðið (The Bird Ballad)
Toronto, Ontario
Presented by
Harbourfront Centre
A selection of recent original paintings by the Faroese artist Edward Fuglø presented in a non-traditional gallery space: the 245 Queens Quay West warehouse.
Fuglakvæðið is a traditional Faroese fable from 1806, written as a ballad containing 226 verses. It is a kind of Robin Hood story, where the Oystercatcher (the hero) is helping the little birds and guarding them against the birds of prey.
The text is considered to be a masterpiece from Nólsoyar Páll. It is also biographic because the oystercatcher represents the writer, Nólsoyar Páll (meaning Páll from the small island Tolstoy). In addition, ten of the large birds represent real authority figures from the 19th century.
The story is typical for that time and recognized as a Faroese contribution to the European Enlightenment. The fable is satirical and tells the story of the political situation, the relationship between Denmark and the Faroe Islands and the relationship between authorities and the ordinary people during that time.
Edward Fuglø is a Faroese artist with strong ties to Denmark, a graduate of the Danish School of Art, Crafts and Design in Copenhagen and has shown his work in the country extensively and throughout Europe. He works in various media, including installation, set design, costume and graphic design.
Fuglø routinely works with Danish authors as an illustrator, creating cover art and illustrations for writers like Jan Cortzen, Lisbeth Nebelong and Høgni Debes Joensen.
