Polar Bears Discoveries of The World | Kristjana S Williams

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTWORK

This new Navigator Map is a celebration of the wild, wondrous edge of the Arctic—a realm where nature unveils her secrets in the quiet moments when no one is watching.

At its centre stands a spirited pair of polar bears, guardians of the icy frontier, accompanied by two magnificent emperor penguins at their side. Behind them, tall, jagged mountains rise like frozen sentinels. Near the top of the composition, a pair of elks drift with serene grace, as though carried by the winds and winter flora. In Iceland, polar bears once journeyed to the coastline atop drifting icebergs; they arrived exhausted and fearsome to local farmers—yet today, it is we who have made their lives immeasurably harder.

Across the lower expanse, the Northern Lights sweep in radiant waves, casting ribbons of colour beneath a vast, luminous moon. Iridescent clouds glow from within, dissolving into a soft, violet-tinged atmosphere as the sky ascends.

Hidden treasures reveal themselves upon closer look: moths with tiny pens tucked into their wings, delicate winter-blooming flowers, leopard lilies, and pale, ethereal butterflies that seem carved from ice. Unexpected touches of warmth punctuate the cool, Arctic palette—pink dolphins breaching the frigid waters, bright yellow dragonflies, and kingfishers that glide in vibrant arcs across the scene.

This artwork is an immersion into the atmospheric, ephemeral world of the polar regions—where the light dances, clouds shimmer, and the wonders of the North reveal themselves only to the patient observer. I cannot recommend Iceland enough as a place to witness these marvels firsthand.