Sámal Joensen-Mikines (1906-1979) is one of Faroe Islands most renouned artists. He was born and lived most of his young life on the island of Mykines. Mikines displayed his gift as a painter from a very young age. After his first exhibition in 1927, where every single one of his paintings were sold, he got encouragement from William Heinesen to apply to the Royal Danish Art Academy. 

After being admitted to the academy in 1928, he moved to Denmark, where he stayed until his death in 1979. However, he visited his hometown of Mykines every summer, where he found inspiration in everything from the landscape to the culture.

His earlier works where painted in a naturalistic style often depicting his hometown in Mykines, but later he bacame an expressive figurative painter inspired by Edvard Munch and those before him with his symbolism and expressionis.  Mikines is famous for his symbolic, expressive, sombre and dramatic paintings. Later in life his work developed a lighter mood for a period but before long found himself returning to the gloomier style.

Mikines is one of the painters with a permanent exhibition at the national art gallery of the Faroe Islands. In addition, his paintings can be found in the Faroese Parliament and other public buildings.