Double happiness

Katrín Elvarsdóttir went to China for the first time in 2010 in order to adopt her daughter. The colours and textures of her surroundings fascinated her, but it wasn't until she returned two years later that she started to take pictures of things she observed. As it happened, a mound of bricks caught her eye during a walk through Beijing and rather than allow the image to fade into memory, her daughter encouraged her to photograph it. As she travelled more often to China, Katrín's photography series, 'Double happiness', began to take shape. Her photos depict an urban landscape permeated by nature at every turn, sculptures that have been born out of everyday phenomena, mazes of twilight, and elderly people. The poetic and tranquil atmosphere of these photos does, in some ways, contrast with the title of the series, which was inspired by a Chinese symbol that represents merriment and gaiety and is displayed on many Chinese arcades and restaurants. The title also reflects the photographer's personal, emotional, and aesthetic experience of China, where the environment and country have fostered in her a sense of 'double happiness.'