Björk & Keiko by Kjuregej

Kjuregej Alexandra Argunova
Looking over past issues I felt like there was time for getrvk.com to interview someone older therefore wiser and has marked its name into the Icelandic art scene all together. Diverse and more fun character is harder to find and I'm very glad to introduce you to this lady.
Alexandra Kjuergej Argunova or Kjurgej as I am used to call her is originally from Sákha - Jakutia, but has been living here in Iceland for about 40 years. She's raised to hard conditions and totally unlike most I've ever heard of, lost here father young in the second world war and was raised by her single mother with her two siblings. In the freezing lands of Siberia.
In 1966 she moved to Moscow and attended the Moscow Art Theater School and has been teaching theatre and expression here in Iceland for 25 years and has worked and put up whole plays with mentally and physically disabled as well as working as an art therapist for the public hospital. But she is mostly known for her art work but it wasn't until 1980 when she attended an art show in Denmark where the artist used only textile, she got bewitched by that form which is called Application.
"When I was young I used to carve all kinds of sculptures in wood but my serious interest to make art and application's didn't start until long after Theater school, arriving in Iceland and teaching art therapy. I love how alive textile can be, later on though I new I wanted to learn something more."
In 1993-1994 she lived in Barcelona and studied at Academia de la Escúela Massana and finished what is called mosaic and mixed techniques. Kjuergej has had many exhibition's and made hundreds of pieces in her career along with getting several accreditation's, you can spot some of her mosaic pieces and sculptors in various places in Reykjavik.
So Kjuergej what is on your schedule?
On the 4th of dec. Me along with five other Icelandic artists are going to Moscow. We where invited by the Sákha - Jakutia government to participate in a group exhibition in the occasion of their 375 year old connection to Russia . I'll be showing various pieces amongst them a big portrait of Björk where she stands on top of Keiko which is an idea I have been carrying around for 3 years and finally made. It's called "Stolt Íslands" or Pride of Iceland".
"At the exhibition there'll be dancing, all sorts of exhibitions, concerts and more by other artists. We wont stay in Moscow because we got a spot at one of Stalin's ex summer house which was turned into a spa by the Jakut's. Which is much cheaper then a hotel room in the city."
Kjuregej also sings and we've attached a song which she and guitarist Gunnar H. Jónsson recorded 30 years ago which she says means a lot to her.
Which are your concerns towards Russia all together?
"I'm sick of the major class division which has established in Russia and all the censorship after the collapse of communism. For example I watched a documentary the other day about the Russian revolution and noticed that some of the interviews where actually censored, where some of the interlocutor's who shared their opinions on if there should be another revulution were translated completely wrong, so non Russian speaking got the actual message. This shows how much pull conservative Marxism has in as outside of Russia, For example this documentary was French. "
Kjuregej would like to visit Jakutia as much as she can but claims that Iceland is her home, but she adds that she moved an original cabin from Jakutia to Iceland which she has worked on for some years, changed to an art piece and a quiet getaway.
Relaxing in Icelandic nature mixed with her Sákha- Jakutia sounds unbelievable good!
With these last words I wish Kjuregej good luck, thank her for her time, a fun and an interesting morning.
Nastrovje
Carmen in Get Reykjavik Magazine: www.getrvk.com