Arctic Highways at Scandinavia House, April 15 – July 23, 2023
artssummary
“Opening April 15 at Scandinavia House, Arctic Highways brings together the artwork and handicrafts of 12 Indigenous artists from Sápmi, Canada and Alaska in an exhibition highlighting the thriving cultural and spiritual communities of the Arctic region. Curated by Indigenous artists Tomas Colbengtson, Gunvor Guttorm, Dan Jåma and Britta Marakatt-Labba, the exhibition includes their own works alongside those of artists Matti Aikio, Marja Helander, Laila Susanna Kuhmunen, Olof Marsja, Máret Ánne Sara, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Maureen Gruben and Meryl McMaster.
The exhibition includes a wide range of artworks and duodji (Sámi handicrafts) including Britta Marakatt-Labba’s narrative embroidery portraying motifs from Sámi culture and history; sculpture works by Máret Ánne Sara utilizing traditional objects such as the komsekula silver amulet (believed in Sámi culture to have protective powers); handmade clothing and sculpture works by Laila Susanna Kuhmunen; mixed-media sculptures by Gunvor Guttorm; and Tomas Colbengtson’s The Children of the Sun, which incorporates a traditional shaman drum with portraits of Sámi heroes, including poets, artists and linguists.
Many works explore Sámi identity, such as the sculptures of Olof Marsja, which incorporate organic, industrial and handmade materials into ambiguous figures and objects; photographs by Meryl McMaster, which examine the self in relation to land, lineage, history, and culture; and video works by artists Matti Aikio and Dan Jåma. The exhibition also looks at the contemporary context of the Arctic, as in Sonya Kelliher-Combs’s mixed-media art focusing on the changing North and our relationship to nature and each other; images and video by Maureen Gruben, who investigates life in the Arctic within global environmental concerns; and Marja Helander’s photography series North, which examines the dependence between humans and nature through landscapes and portraits.” — Scandinavia House
Máret Ánne Sara, Crowned by foreign fate, 2021. Print on aluminium. 900 x 1220 mm; 35 7/16 x 48 1/32 in. Collection of the artist
Máret Ánne Sara, Moder Jord I (Mother Earth I), 2020. Sculpture made from a globe and scooter spring. 350 mm in diameter; 11 13/16 in. Collection of the artistMatti Aikio, Dohkkáhehkka, 2021. Single channel video. 13:18 min. Collection of the artistTomas Colbengtsson, The children of the sun (Daniel Mortensen, Aina Jonsson, John Saivo, Johan Turi, Nils Nilsson Skum, Ailohas, Elsa Laula, Israel Roung, Anders Fjellnet, Mattias Andersson), 2020. Saemie drum, screenprint oil on canvas, goldleafs, wood, electric motor, brass-ring. 1200 x 900 mm, approx. 200 mm height; 47 1/4 x 35 7/16 x 7 7/8 in. Collection of the artistDan Jåma, Leave No Trace, 2021. Single channel video, 07:27 min. Collection of the artistMaureen Gruben, Aidainnaqduanni, Aurora; Aidainnaqduanni, Morning, 2020. 2 prints on aluminum. 1200 X 800 mm; 47 1/4 x 31 1/2 in. each. Collection of the artistMarja Helander, The Evening Covers Everything, 2020. Print on aluminum. 1694 X 700 mm; 66 11/16 x 27 9/16 in. Collection of the artistMarja Helander, The Secrets of Dusk, 2020. Print on aluminum. 1615 X 600 mm; 63 37/64 x 23 5/8 in. Collection of the artistBritta Marakatt-Labba, Urmoder (Primordial mother), 2020. Stone and bronze. Approx. 200 X 200 X 200 mm; 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 x 7/78 in. Collection of the artistMeryl McMaster, Cartography of the Unseen, 2019. Print on aluminum. 1200 x 800 mm; 47 1/4 x 31 1/2 in. Collection of the artistMeryl McMaster, What Will I Say to the Sky and the Earth II, 2019. Print on aluminum. 1200 x 800 mm; 47 1/4 x 31 1/2 in. Collection of the artist
Olof Marsja, Handen, Hjärtat och Bältet (Hand, Heart and Belt), 2020. Aluminium, wrought iron, the artist’s childhood belt and silver. Approx. 150 x 150 X 500 mm; 5 29/32 x 5 29/32 x 19 11/16 in. Collection of the artist
Olof Marsja, iSurfer, 2019. Earthenware, wood adhesive, carbon fiber, wood, acrylic paint and an iPad. 500 mm; 19 11/16 in. Collection of the artist
Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Credible, Small Secrets, 2021. Cotton fabric, human hair, nylon thread, glass bead, steel pin. 36 pieces, approx. 80 mm long 30 mm in diameter; 3 5/32 in. long 1 3/16 in. in diameter. Collection of the artistKuhmunen, Laila Susanne, Steingiisá (Stone chest), 2020. Stone. 900 x 450 X 300 mm 35 7/16 x 17 23/32 x 11 13/16 in. Collection of the artist
Laila Susanne Kuhmunen. When Two Become One, 2020. Clothing. 3500 x 1700 mm mounted; 137 51/64 x 66 59/64 in. Collection of the artist
Gunvor Guttorm, Čiehkádeapmi (Hiding), 2020. Installation, various materials (fish net, shoes). 900 x 900 x 250 mm; 35 7/16 x 35 7/16 x 9 27/32 in. Collection of the artist
