The Living Room—An Installation by Katarina Spik Skum

Reindeer-hide beanbags, cotton drapes decorated with traditional Sámi patterns, wooden tables that have retained the organic forms of branches, and rákkas—mosquito tents made of thin materials. This is a typical Sámi alternative to interior design, created by the artist and duojár (Sámi craftsperson) Katarina Spik Skum. Applying both great skill and material sensibility, Spik Skum creates works to live with, often in collaboration with other duojárat (Sámi craftspeople) and artists. Bringing duodji (Sámi craft) to new spaces entails weaving together arts and crafts with roots in the Lule Sámi region. The artist allows contemporary materials and forms to seep into her designs, which are inspired by life in the goahti (Sámi tent)—a common backdrop during her childhood while spending summers with her mother’s family. Spik Skum is based in Jåhkåmåhkke/Jokkmokk. In collaboration with Tjallegoáhte Authors’ Centre and the Gothenburg Book Fair.

Photo: Rug, Katarina Spik Skum