Thelma Sigurhansdottir, also known as Thelma Gella, is an Icelandic painter based in New York. Her work explores psychological tension through figurative imagery, often depicting fragmented figures and gestures that blur boundaries between interior experience and external perception.
She received her B.A. in Studio Art from The City College of New York in 2025. Her work has been exhibited throughout New York City, including the Lower East Side, Chelsea, Staten Island, the Upper East Side, Brooklyn, and Harlem, as well as internationally in Iceland and Denmark. In 2026, she participated in the Studio Winter Residency at Bushwick Gallery in Brooklyn, creating a new body of work.
Alongside her studio practice, she has worked in sculptural fabrication for one of New York's leading contemporary artists and completed public mural commissions in Iceland. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, developing new painting series examining the body within contemporary digital and social environments.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025
Búsvæði, Listhús Ófeigs, Reykjavík, Iceland
Habitat, Art Lab Gallery, Staten Island Museum, Staten Island, NY
Artist Talk presented in conjunction with exhibition.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026
2025
2023
2019
We lose something every day, Bushwick Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Pop-up exhibition, The Valentine's Museum, New York, NY
Að missa list á aðfangadagskvöld, Herma, Reykjavík, Iceland
Von, Phenomenon Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland
PS. Piece of Art, Satellite Gallery, New York, NY
Intersecting Realms, Trygve Lie Gallery, New York, NY
Zodiac: The Mysterious Power of the Creative, Medici Museum of Art, Warren, OH
True North, NY Estonian House, New York, NY
Women Make Art 2025, Cohen Library Archives Gallery, New York, NY
Sistergood, Publicis Health Headquarters, New York, NY
Annual Student Exhibition, Compton-Goethals Art Gallery, New York, NY
Lokahátíð Skapandi sumarstarfa, Molinn, Kópavogur, Iceland
Vinterudstilling, Krabbesholm Højskole, MOS houses, Skive, Denmark
Vanessa: Elevudstilling, Fabrikken for Kunst & Design, Copenhagen, Denmark
RESIDENCIES
2026
Studio Winter Residency, Bushwick Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2025
True North, NY Estonian House, New York, NY
2026
Bushwick Gallery. “Studio Winter 2026.” Winter Studio Residency at Bushwick Gallery.
Jónsson, Eiríkur. “Thelma Gella í Listhúsi Ófeigs.”
The Northern Voices. “Thelma Sigurhansdottir: Visual Storytelling from Iceland to New York.”
The Northern Voices. “Bridging the Gap Between the Human and the Cosmos.”
City of Kópavogur. “Vegglistasumar í Kópavogi.”
Vísir. “Settist í sófann hjá Jimmy Fallon: ‘Þetta fer algjörlega í minningabankann’.”
SELECTED PRESS
2025
2023
HONORS & AWARDS
2025
2023
Dean's Prize in Art, The City College of New York
The Connor Merit Award, 1st Place, Undergraduate Studio Art
The Connor Merit Award, 3rd Place, Undergraduate Studio Art
EDUCATION
The City College of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
B.A., Studio Art, 2025
GPA: 3.90
Menntskólinn við Hamrahlíð, Reykjavík, Iceland
Multidisciplinary Studies (Sociology & English emphasis), 2019
CERTIFICATIONS & ADDITIONAL STUDIES
School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Silkscreen Certification, 2026
Krabbesholm Højskole, Skive, Denmark
Concentration in Visual Art, 2019
EXPERIENCE
Carole A. Feuerman Studio, New York, NY
Sculptural Fabrication Assistant | 2023 – PRESENT
-
Fabricate hyperrealist figurative sculptures through mold-making and casting processes.
-
Execute surface finishing, chasing, and preparation for painting and final installation.
-
Support production of large-scale sculptural works for exhibition and installation.
Ron Shipmon LLC, New York, NY
Social Media & Content Strategist | 2024
-
Developed and implemented content strategy for art advisory practice.
-
Produced and edited visual media to expand digital audience engagement.
City of Kópavogur, Iceland
Commissioned Mural Artist | 2022 – 2023
-
Designed and executed public mural commissions.
-
Collaborated with municipal partners to develop site-responsive works.