Hreinn Friðfinnsson was born in 1943 in Baer Dölum, Iceland. Since 1971 he lived in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is co-founder of the Icelandic avant-garde artists’ collective SÚM and has exhibited internationally since the 1970s. He passed away in 2024.

A retrospective of Friðfinnsson's was on view at Centre d'Art Contemporain, Geneva and KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin in 2019, and was accompanied by a survey catalog. He furthermore had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Art & Design at MDC, Miami (2021); The Icelandic Folk and Outsider Art Museum, Svalbarðsströnd (2020); Kunstverein Amsterdam, Amsterdam (2015); The Living Art Museum, Reykjavík (2014); Centre d’Art Contemporain, Bignan; and Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto (both 2002). In 2007 the Serpentine Gallery, London presented a first survey exhibition of his work which then travelled to Reykjavík Art Museum and in 2008 to Bergen Museum and Malmö Konsthall. He participated in Skulptur Projekte Münster 2017, the 30th São Paulo Biennial in 2012 and in 1993 he represented Iceland at the 45th Venice Biennale.

Recent significant participations include group exhibitions at Frac des Pays de la Loire, Nantes (2023); Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon, Lyon (2022); Arter, Istanbul (2022 and 2020); Kópavogur Art Museum, Reykjavík (2019); Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg (2018); The Living Art Museum Reykjavík, Reykjavík (2017); National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavík (2016); Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, Moscow; and Mudam, Luxemburg (both 2014), MOCA Los Angeles and Haus der Kunst, Munich (both 2012); Reykjavík Arts Festival (2005); and Jeu de Paume, Paris (2004). In 2000 the artist was the recipient of the prestigious Ars Fennica Prize. In 2019 Centre d'Art Contemporain, Geneva and KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin presented an extensive survey exhibition of his work.
Hreinn Friðfinnsson has been exhibiting with Galerie Nordenhake since 1989.