Mathilde Morant


Mathilde Morant is an artist originally from Morlaix who has been based in Reykjavík, Iceland, for the past six years. Her artistic process is guided by a constant desire to explore isolated and difficult-to-access landscapes, then transcribe them through her drawings and paintings, mostly produced on location, outdoors.

Mathilde has thus experienced the most remote corners of this North Atlantic island, and when a volcano erupted in 2021 on the Reykjanes peninsula, it was the perfect opportunity to push this outdoor activity to the extreme.

“The most incredible thing I have ever seen.”

After a series of earthquakes that had been shaking the island for weeks, a breach finally opened in the Fagradalsfjall mountains in March 2021, just a few dozen kilometers from the capital.

Mathilde made the hike to the crater several times throughout the period when the volcano, which formed in the Geldingadalur valley, was active.

“ It's the most incredible thing I've ever seen. The first time I saw the crater, from afar, it was like witnessing the awakening of a creature emerging from the bowels of the earth. You first notice the noise the volcano makes, dull and deep, then the smell of the vegetation burning around it, and finally the lava gushing out. This lava has a color that is absolutely impossible to transcribe, whether in a drawing or a photograph, you will never have the same result as what you see with the naked eye: pure light and heat.”

Then in the summer of 2022 another crater formed on the same breach, at the level of the Meradalir valley, thus renewing the opportunity to return to the site and capture the constantly evolving landscape.

The ink and watercolor drawings presented at the Island gallery are numbered and signed copies of this series, which has never been published in France.

At the origin of this desire for exploration: Icelandic lighthouses.

Mathilde Morant is also working on a long-term project, the VitiProject; "viti" for "lighthouse." It involves painting a watercolor of each of Iceland's lighthouses, both on-site and outdoors. There are 133 of them... It was this project that pushed her to actively explore the most remote areas of Iceland, as not all of these lighthouses are easily accessible:

" I started with the lighthouses where I could go directly by car, then it turned into a short walk, then a day hike, then a five-day trek, then kayaking, and finally traveling on all kinds of boats. In May 2023 I had the chance to accompany the coast guard and electricians who carry out maintenance every year at the most remote lighthouses in the country. I spent twelve days aboard Freyja, the largest ship of the Icelandic coast guard, doing very sporty zodiac trips several times a day in all weathers. The only day we didn't go to a lighthouse was because the storm was too strong.

Begun in the winter of 2018, the project is nearing completion; of the three remaining lighthouses to be visited, one will surely be reachable by kayak, the other two by helicopter.

Follow these adventures on social media: @vitiproject (Instagram & Facebook)

The VitiProject watercolors can be seen on the website mathildemorant.com