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Brandur Karlsson

MFPA Student Artist

Born: January 1982
Lives in: Iceland
Painting style: Mouth painter
Subjects: Scenery, Landscapes, Volcanos, Portraits and Animals.

Brandur “Brassi” Bryndísarson Karlsson is an Icelandic mouth painter whose work is deeply shaped by the island’s volcanic landscapes. As the son of two geologists, he grew up travelling with his mother, learning to read the land through eruption sites, rock layers, and field stories that made Iceland’s geology feel like a living language.

In his early twenties, Brassi was struck by a mysterious illness which left him paralysed below the neck. After years of intense rehabilitation he regained enough movement to begin painting again, holding a brush in his mouth. Painting became both a creative outlet and a way to reconnect with the world, building skill through steady practice, patience, and experimentation.

Today, Brassi often returns to the subject matter of his childhood: volcanoes, lava flows, and the shifting light of Icelandic weather. He frequently works from modern perspectives such as drone photography, translating the patterns of lava into colour, texture, and movement. He is part of the International Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (VDMFK) and continues to develop his work through exhibitions and ongoing projects.

‘I love painting Impressionist landscapes, volcanic eruptions and portraits. I often paint scenes captured from drones, giving unique perspectives.’
Brandur Karlsson