Under the Vast Sky

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Britta Marakatt-Labba, “Gárjjat / The Crows,” 1981/2021

wool embroidery on linen (courtesy the artist and the University of Tromsø, Norway)

Britta Marakatt-Labba’s exhibition, Under the Vast Sky, on view at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery in Lethbridge, acts almost as a retrospective for the prolific North Sámi artist, with more than 40 breathtaking works that span some four decades. Based on duodji, the traditional Sámi arts she learned as a child, Marakatt-Labba masterfully embroiders the stories and histories of a resilient Indigenous culture.

The Sámi live in the northern parts of what is now Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, known also as the Sápmi region. They were traditionally hunters and gatherers but shifted to herding domesticated reindeer in the 17th century. Over the generations, they have been forced to change their way of life and have watched forestry and mining intrude on their territories. 

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Britta Marakatt-Labba, “Under The Vast Sky,” 2021

installation view at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge (photo by Blaine Campbell)

In Gárjjat / The Crows, a winding flock of crows descends into the Sápmi landscape. As they settle and transform into black-clad police, they form an oppressive procession headed toward a Sámi community. For the Sámi, the crow symbolizes authority that plunders everything in its way. The piece, a recently completed replica of the original 1981 work, is based on the 1979 Sámi protests against a proposed hydropower expansion that would have flooded the Sámi village of Máze. 

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Britta Marakatt-Labba, “Vuovdi suddje eallima I-III / The Forest Saves Lives I-III,” 1987-1988

embroidery on fabric (courtesy Region Norrbotten, Sweden; photo by Blaine Campbell)

The exhibition, on view until Feb. 6, seeks to transport viewers into the Arctic landscape with walls painted in pale ice blues and cool whites. Oblong-shaped works further emphasize the experience of the northern environment. But interspersed throughout Marakatt-Labba’s cool tones are bright red threads, often stitched in the shape of a traditional horned hat. 

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Britta Marakatt-Labba, “Niegadeapmi / Dreaming,” 1999

embroidery (courtesy KORO Public Art, Norway; photo courtesy Ikon, Birmingham)

The crown-like hat, known as a ládjogahpir, is worn by Sámi women. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Christian priests forbade them, fearing the devil resided within the horn. It wasn’t until recently, with the support of Sámi artists like Marakatt-Labba, that the ládjogahpir experienced a revival, with renewed knowledge of its making and a return to everyday use. 

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Britta Marakatt-Labba, “Avverkning / Deforestation” (detail), 2020

textile (courtesy Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum, Norway)

In Avverkning / Deforestation, as with many of the embroideries, the ládjogahpir is present. Here, it is shown in the traditional red and a deep blue. Marakatt-Labba says she uses the red hat as a symbol of resistance and resiliency. The blue version indicates the sorrow felt by the Sámi, especially for the changing climate and environment. The hat’s presence is also a respectful nod to Máttaráhkká, the Sámi mother goddess.

Marakatt-Labba’s sensational embroideries are accompanied by yoik, the traditional vocal music of Sámi culture. Radiating from the gallery’s alcove, the sound is a treat for viewers as they move through the exquisitely detailed work. It makes for a powerful experience.

Britta Marakatt-Labba, Under the Vast Sky, on view at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery in Lethbridge from Nov. 26, 2021, to Feb. 6, 2022.