Katrín Ólína, one of Iceland’s best-known designers, is on the move.

We visited her in her home a few months ago when she was in the process of packing up her belongings to go on a journey that will eventually take her around the world. Katrín is not travelling alone; with her she brings her collection of talismans – a project that has been the centre of her life for a while now and to which she gave the name Primitiva.

She started out in Helsinki and has since been moving from one country to the next, exhibiting her beautiful objects and revealing the fascinating world behind them. A few weeks ago Katrín travelled to Paris, a city she knows well after having lived there for several years, first as a student and later as a designer. Paris greeted her well, as long-time friend and art historian/curator Laufey Helgadóttir opened up her gallery space to Katrín – and it was here that one night a pop-up exhibition was held.

The gallery is of a peculiar kind, operating inside a stunning apartment in Paris. The owners, Laufey and her architect husband Bernard, have created the gallery in their own apartment, situated on the 25th floor of a large apartment building, as a place to exhibit the work of Icelandic artists and artists that are in any way related to Iceland. The gallery is called Appart_323 and we were invited to come along.

To find out more about the gallery go to https://www.facebook.com/Appart_323-1542662565971653/

To find out more about the Primitiva project go to https://www.facebook.com/PrimitivaTalismans/?fref=ts

Click here to explore the home af Katrín Ólína 

Photos: Vera Pálsdóttir