This spring, Tate St Ives will present the UK’s first large-scale exhibition of work by Outi Pieski (Čiske-Jovsset Biret Hánsa Outi).

Pieski is a Sámi visual artist whose practice is deeply connected to land. Working primarily with painting and installation, Pieski has gained recognition for her work which explores the spiritual relationship between humans and their environment and raises vital questions around traditional knowledge and Indigenous people’s rights. The exhibition at Tate St Ives will present Pieski’s figurative landscapes, photographs and prints alongside sculptural works, including a new installation which will be made especially for the show during her Tate St Ives residency at Porthmeor Studios in January 2024.

In many of her projects, she incorporates duodji (the traditional craft practices of the Sámi people) using materials such as wood and textile. For Pieski, duodji is also a way of revitalising connections between past and future generations.

Pieski lives and works in Sápmi, the region in which the Indigenous Sámi live which is today divided between the nation states of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Driven by the rugged landscape of her home municipality of Ohcejohka (Utsjoki), Pieski’s work acts as a dialogue between the everchanging natural environment of the area and its inhabitants.

During the last weekend of the exhibition, Saturday 4 May and Sunday 5 May, there will be workshops, performances, film screenings and talks exploring identity, culture and environment. Outi Pieski will be present to talk about her work, indigenous peoples’ rights and environmental issues, and Jalvvi Niillas Holmberg will perform yoik and his poetry to mention a few examples of the programme. Please visit Tate’s website for tickets and more info about the programme.

The talks will be BSL interpreted.

Outi Pieski exhibition at Tate St Ives (Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1TG) from 10 February until 6 May, Tue-Sun 10am-4.20pm. Tickets £12, free for Tate members. Book your tickets on Tate’s website.

Photo: Tor Simen Ulstein