Rana/Rátnu is a long-term artistic research project, where I investigate Sami weaving traditions in innovative ways. Rana is inspired by traditional Norwegian Sea Sami weavings of wool. These were used as utility textiles; mainly in the form of cloth for the lavvu/tents, but also as bedding. The rana is a striped, tightly woven woolen fabric, produced on an upright warp-weighted loom dating back to prehistoric times.
My first piece in the projecty – Rana – will be shown at Österlens Museum, Skåne, South Sweden, this summer 2024. It will be part of the exhibition Spinning Time, a collaborative project within Fiber Art Sweden network. The warp is made of undyed greyish-brown Gotland wool, hand-spun by a Pakistani refugee woman, who wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons. The weft consists of felted Gotland wool with spun ditto in different gray tones. The stripes are accentuated by colorful spun elements in blue and green. At the bottom, stone warp weights are placed with references to the Viking Age warp weights found in large numbers at a number of settlements throughout the Nordic region.
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