The witty works of Tomi Ungerer at the Reykjavik Art Festival 2011

A selection of Tomi Ungerer's posters and drawings will be on show at the Reykjavik Art Museum as part of the city's arts festival. Beginning this Saturday (21 May - 24 July) , the exhibition is curated by Thérèse Willer, director of the Tomi Ungerer Museum in Strasbourg, who will also deliver a lecture about Ungerer's work and inspirations on 23 May.

The Reykjavik Arts Festival seeks to promote Icelandic and international culture in all fields of art. Ungerer, who celebrates his 80th birthday this November, has crossed many geographic and artistic borders - and boundaries - throughout his career.  Born in Alsace, Strasbourg, Ungerer has lived and worked in New York, Canada, Strasbourg and Ireland.  A man who embraces new adventures and challenges, Ungerer has travelled widely across Europe, hitchhiking and working his way through Greece, Norway, Yugoslavia and crossing over Russian borders in Lapland. His personal war time experiences, quirky attempts at self-sufficienty and witty existentialist ideas are all evident in his works.

Watch a video with Tomi Ungerer talking about leaving his life in New York for the wilds of Nova Scotia, Canada.