My artistic practice is an evolving journey; I seek old paths that are new for me. Learning duodji for me is an act of historical reconciliation—a way of rethinking my path as I walk and understanding that duodji is a way of connecting with land and with people through time.

Just like the stitches in my heart, sewing my own gákti gives me strength, stitch by stitch.

- Siri Mari

Artist Statement

Siri Mari (b. 1992, Tromsø) is a multidisciplinary artist currently researching and learning about perspectives from her Sámi, Kven, and Norwegian heritage. With a background spanning from duodji, art history, and contemporary art, her work explores the tension and potential between materials and their historical, political, and social contexts.

Her current practice is an evolving journey of reconciliation. Through the study of traditional duodji and Sámi knowledge systems, she employs "embodied learning"—learning with the hands—as a way to process history and heal. For Siri Mari, this is a deeply personal path, a purpose. By immersing herself in duddjon, she discovers old paths that are new to her, revealing how the act of making functions as a bridge through time. She views her work not just as craft, but as a method for rethinking her path, carrying the responsibility of tradition into the future.