• –––– soley – cv

    CURRICULUM VITAE

    Sóley Stefánsdóttir
    Sofiesgate 66b
    0168 Oslo
    Norway

     

    EDUCATION

    2001 – 2004 B.A. in Graphic Design. The Iceland Academy of the Arts.

    1996 – 2000 B.A. in Theology and Gender Studies. The University of Iceland.

     

    WORK

    Current
    From January 2008: Teaching graphic design in Ecole Nationale des Artes Visuais in Maputo, Mozambique.

    Work as a freelance graphic designer and a researcher within design, among customers:

    • Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies in the University of Iceland
    • Icelandic Centre for Verbal History
    • Institute of History
    • The Equal Rights committee of the University
    • The Historians Society
    • Stigamot – Icelandic Counseling And Information Center For Survivors Of Sexual Violence.
    • UNIFEM – the United Nations Development fund for Women.
    • 16 days of Activism Against Gender Violence.
    • ENATW – Euroean Network Against Trafficing in Women for Sexual Exploitation.
    • Gunnar Hersveinn; an Icelandic philosopher, poet and author writing about ethics in every day life.
    • Institute of Women History
    • ENTA – property developers
    • Myvatn Nature Baths. A blue lagoon project in Iceland

     

    2007
    Along with my partner Halldor Gislason I wrote and designed a policy making book in Icelandic named Design – Resource for the Future. The aim of the book is to give insight in a readable and attractive manner to the status of design in the world, research findings and the potential for design as an actor in the Icelandic economy. This book was sent to all governmental bodies in Iceland and has allready become influential in the Icelandic Research Council, the Ministry of Industry and the media.

    We have given two official talks on the book, one pressmeeting with the minister of industry and one in a conference on The Source of Wealth in Small States, claiming design as an imortant source to focus on.

    2005 – 2006
    Researcher for The Icelandic Academy of the Arts, design faculty. A Nordic/Baltic Project on Design and Innovation sponsored by The Nordic Innovation Center. The projects title is “Nordic/Baltic Innovation network for Creative Industries – Focusing on Design”. A link to the report: http://www.nordicinnovation.net/article.cfm?id=1-834-716

    2004
    Worked on an anniversary project for UNIFEM (The United Nations Development Fund for Women) in redeveloping their communication. Their yearly magazine had been a simple publication without design involvement. On the 15th birthday of the Icelandic organization it was decided to design a new identity, campaign material, including a strong magazine that could communicate the very important work of which the organization does. The aim was to increase the fund substantially, both by creating growth in the supporting membership and to gain larger funding from the Icelandic government.
    The work involved the accumulation and verification of material for publication, both textual and visual. The aim of gaining an increased support from the government was certainly achieved. In 2006 it was decided to raise the amount ten times, from the 3.000.000 isk. a year in 2004 to 35.000.000 isk a year. Today it is being recognized more and more how development help directed towards women gives the best results. The following year similar work was continued, building on the same concept as designed the year before.

    2004-2006
    Worked as a project leader in development of an exhibition called Gardarsholm, in a small fish village Husavik in the North of Iceland. The exhibition is about the Swede Gardar Svavarsson who by several old saga references was the first to sail to Iceland, took shore in Husavik and built a house there. The exhibition will explore the effects of human settlement on the land and nature. In Iceland we have a great opportunity to look at how peoples settlements affect the environment, as the settlement in Iceland started around 870 in a pretty well documented time. Now the project has got to the stage that the Icelandic president and the Swedish king are the protectors of the exhibition and financing is being worked on. Pilot homepage: http://www.gardarsholm.org

    2002
    A summer research project, funded by The Student Innovation Fund.
    “Visualization of the Icelandic Mountain Lady: the use of Graphic Design and Symbolism in Image Creation.”
    Looking at the women symbols of nations, like Britannia in Britain, and how they are used as national tools. The Mountain Lady (Fjallkonan) is a symbol of Iceland, still in use. Every national day a woman in her costume holds a speech.

    2000 – 2001
    Worked in the design department in the Icelandic Advertizing Agency, the largest agency in Iceland.

    1999
    A summer research project, funded by The Student Innovation Fund.
    “Representation of Gender in Children’s books and its effect on children.”
    The work included taking interviews with children to get ideas about their reading of pictorial material. Then working on the results using Michel Foucault discourse theories and Judith Butler’s theories on performance and gender.

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