October 27 - December 2, 2018
After almost 3 years since the last exhibition, Britta Marakatt-Labba and Tomas Colbengtson are now back with the exhibition "Dawn / Luejie / Iđit guovssu" at Galleri Helle Knudsen. Britta and Tomas work with art that is based on the Sami history, design thinking, patterns and colors, where the craft is a very important part of the work's creation, sprung from a Sami tradition. The artists focus on a current problem, a common Sami history and contemporaries, depicted with strong images made with embroidery, on paper, glass or metal.
BRITTA MARAKATT-LABBA
Britta Marakatt-Labba was born in 1951 and grew up in a reindeer herding family in Lainiovuoma Sami village. She began her artistic career in 1979 after completing her studies at the School of Art and Design in Gothenburg. Early on, she became involved with other Sami newly trained artists in building and forming a Sami artists' organization.
Today Britta lives and works in Övre Soppero and has been an active artist for over 30 years. Britta has participated in many group and solo exhibitions in both Sweden and internationally and has had decorating assignments for a number of public institutions. For her art, she has received both awards and cultural awards. Among others Illis quorum (2017). This spring, she showed her 24 meter long embroidery "History" at Documenta 14 in Kassel
which received much attention.
Britta's embroideries are miniature worlds shaped with a needle and thread. They contain scenes from everyday life, political reflections and stories about Sami culture and history. The magnificent nature and the white snow of the sparkling winter landscape are constantly present.
TOMAS COLBENGTSON
Tomas Colbengtson was born in 1957 and grew up in Björkvattnet, Tärnaby. 1998-2008 he was a Resident Artist at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and now he works in addition to his artistic internship also as a lecturer in graphics at Konstfack, University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, where he himself also has a master's degree in painting in 1991. Tomas has worked as an artist for over 25 years and has had a large number of exhibitions in Sweden and internationally.
Tomas art is based on memories, his own upbringing in a small Sami village in the mountains and the current situation for indigenous peoples. He works with graphics, painting and glass that he shapes into his own expression that often reflects on historical and modern social phenomena. The art reflects experiences such as language and religious prohibition, racial biological research, disgrace of yoik and other methods often used by governments to gain control over indigenous peoples and associated lands.
