Sámi Art and Aesthetics : Comtemporary Perspectives

Over five decades, a vibrant wave of Sámi creatives has transformed both traditional duodji and modern art, challenging conventional norms. The study probes the dynamic interplay between indigenous aesthetics and evolving cultural, social, and political forces, linking historical roots with today’s practices.

During the last five decades we have witnessed an increase in activity among artists identifying themselves as Sámi, the only recognised indigenous people of Scandinavia. At the same time, art and duodji (traditional Sámi art and craft) have been organized and institutionalized, not least by the Sámi artists themselves. Sámi Art and Aesthetics discusses and highlights these developments and places them in historical and contemporary contexts for an international audience. At stake are complex, changing terms regarding the creative and the political agencies. The question is not how indigeneity, identity, people, art, duodji, and aesthetics correspond to conventional Western ideas, rather it is how they interact with the Sámi and their neighbouring cultures and societies. The volume is written by some of the foremost art historians and literary scholars in Sámi art, craft, architecture, culture, and indigenous studies. Artists presented include Johan Turi, Iver Jåks, Outi Pieski, Folke Fjellström, Katarina Pirak Sikku, Geir Tore Holm, and Silje Figenschou Thoresen.