Mikkel Odehnalu

October 15, 2021.

Posted by Monika Plemen.

Mikkel Odehnalu // July - October 2021
Mikkel Odehnalu // July – October 2021

Mikkel is an animator and illustrator from the Czech Republic, staying in the Artist Residency for the second time. He came here to take a break from making animation and started to focus on non-digital art. His artistic expression is inspired by arctic nature. First, he was focused on practicing the painting of Icelandic landscapes with animals, which later resulted into a bigger personal project – the picture book. Here was Mikkel trying to get through his emotional condition, doing everyday rituals in the mountains and catching his thoughts in the landscape. The whole story is told by a raven called Krummi, who has arrived in a fjord by boat and tried to get out of his lost mind. The book will be hopefully published one day.

“I was going through different stages of my feelings the last few months. I was working with my emotions surrounded by the local landscape. The light summer nights, austfjarðarþokan fog which could stay in the fjord for a few days, hot sunshine and cold refreshing mountain stream. The wind was so strong you could barely walk, clouds touching the mountains peaks or hiding them, all kinds of rain, morning sunlight reflecting in drops on long grass, and more and more in this magical fjord. I could identify my emotional state with the changing landscape and its weather.

The book about Krummi reflects my feelings in certain times and certain places. And I am also very glad, I was surrounded by wonderful people, I met so many nice souls here and made new friendships. And I know I will come back here again someday. Thank you for having me, dear Fish Factory team!”

Thank you, Mikkel for being with us!