BIO
© Marja Helander, Britta Marakatt-Labba (f. 1951). 2022 års hedersporträtt, Statens porträttsamling.
Britta Marakatt-Labba, born in 1951 and raised in a reindeer-herding family in the Lainovuoma Sámi village, began her artistic career in 1979 after completing her studies at the School of Arts and Crafts in Gothenburg. In 1978, she helped found the Masi Group and the following year was involved in establishing a Sámi artists’ organization. During the 1980s, she participated in the Alta protests and depicted the events in the well-known work The Crows (1981).
Today, she lives and works in Övre Soppero and has been active as an artist for over 40 years. Her international breakthrough came in 2017 when her 24-meter-long embroidery Historjá (2003–2007) was shown at the prestigious contemporary art exhibition Documenta 14. In March 2025, Artnews magazine named the embroidery one of the 100 best artworks of the 21st century, placing it at number 35.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Stitched Tracks, Kunsthalle Mainz, Mainz, Germany (2026)
Där varje stygn andas (Where Each Stitch Breathes), Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden (2025)
Underjordens Eko (The Echo of the Underground), Galleri Helle Knudsen, Stockholm, Sweden (2025)
I stjärnornas fotspår (In the Footsteps of the Stars), KIN, Kiruna, Sweden (2024)
Moving the Needle, Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo, Norway (2024)
Market Art Fair/Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm (2023)
Under the Vast Sky, Ikon gallery, Birmingham, UK (2022)
Under the Vast Sky, South Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, Canada (2022)
Adde Zetterquist Art Gallery, Røkland, Norway (2020)
History in Stitches, KOHTA, Helsinki, Finland (2019)
Konstgillet, Kiruna, Sweden (2019)
Historia i stygn (History in Stitches), Lunds Konsthall, Lund (2018/2019)
Speglingar, Gävle Konstcentrum, Gävle, Sweden (2018)
Nordnorsk Kunstmuesum, Tromsø, Norway (2017/2018)
Kramfors konsthall, Kramfors (2010)
Kosmos, Bildmuseet, Umeå, Sweden (2009)
Piteå konstförening, Piteå, Sweden (2001)
Sámi Center for Contemporary Art, Karašjohka, Norway (1998)
Galleri Tornhuset, Luleå, Sweden (1990)
La Jornada Cucalambeana, Las Tunas, Cuba (1988)
Galleri Arctic, Tromsø, Norway (1990)
Galleri Max, Stockholm, Sweden (1986)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Arctic Highways, touring exhibition to Canada, USA, Norway, Finland and Sweden (2024)
OSL contemporary, Oslo, Norway (2023)
Kunsthaus Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany (2023)
The Milk of Dreams, The 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy (2022)
Biennale Gherdëina, Ortisei, Italy (2022)
Bakom hörnet vindens jojk, Sven-Harrys konstmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden (2020/2021)
Nordische Botschaften, Berlin, Germany (2020)
Galleri Lindberg, Luleå, Sweden (2019)
Hokkaido Ainu Center, Sapporo, Japan (2019)
Manif D’Art – Quebec City Biennial, Quebec, Canada (2019)
Modernautställningen 2018, Moderna museet, Stockholm, Sweden (2018)
Nymaterialism, Bonniers konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden (2018)
Let the River Flow, OCA, Oslo, Norway (2018)
Luleåbiennalen, Luleå, Sweden (2018)
Documenta 14, Kassel, Germany (2017)
Sámi Stories, Scandinavia House, New York (2014)
Norrbottens museum, Luleå, Sweden
LIAF, Svolvær, Norway
Being A Part, touring exhibition to Norway, Sweden and Finland (2009/2010)
12th International Art Triennal of Tapestry, Lodz, Poland (2007)
In the Shadow of the Midnight Sun, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Canada (2006)
Konstfeminism/Art feminism, touring exhibition in Sweden (2005)
Mázejoavko/Sámi Artist Group 25 year anniversary exhibition, touring exhibition in Norway (2004/2005)
Beijing International ART Biennale, Beijing, China (2003)
Art from the Arctic, touring exhibition in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia (1993)
Sámi Contemporary – Rovaniemi Art Museum, Rovaniemi, Finland (1992/1993)
Nordkalottens höstutställning, Luleå, Sweden (1989)
Fjällnära: Inre och yttre landskap, touring exhibition in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia (1988/1990)
Sámi Dáidda, Nordiskt konstcentrum, Helsinki, Finland, touring to Sweden, Germany and USA (1981)
Nordisk Textiltriennal/Nordic Triennial of Textile Art, touring exhibition to Norway, Iceland, Færoe Islands, Denmark, Finland (1979/1980)
Samisk kunstnergruppe/Sámi Artist Group, touring exhibition in Norway (1979)
PUBLIC COMMISIONS
Samisk Nasjonalteater Beaivváš/Samisk videregående skole, Guovdageaidnu; Stortinget, Oslo; Nedre Bekkelaget skole, Oslo, Norway; Sara kulturhus, Skellefteå; Kunskapens hus, Gällivare; Karesuando kyrka, Karesuando; Stockholms stift, Stockholm, Sweden; Målselv sameskole, Målselv; UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Radiotjänst, Kiruna, Sweden; Lakselv rådhus, Lakselv, Norway; Gällivare sjukhus, Gällivare; Ájtte Fjäll- och Samemuseum, Jokkmokk, Sweden; NIBIO Svanhovd, Svanvik Kirkenes, Norway
COLLECTIONS
Sveriges Television, Sweden; Sveriges Radio, Sweden; Government and Parliament collection of Sweden; Embassy of Norway, Brasilia, Brazil; City of Oslo, Norway; Röhsska museet, Göteborg, Sweden; Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå, Sweden; Anchorage Museum, Alaska, USA; Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim, Norway; Kin, Kiruna, Sweden; TATE Museums, London, UK; MARKK Museum am Rothenbaum, Hamburg, Germany; Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo, USA; British museum, London, UK; Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, London, UK; Growald Climate Fund, Brookline, USA; Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden; Nasjonalmuseeet, Oslo, Norway; Moderna museet, Stockholm, Sweden; KODE kunstmuseer og komponisthjem, Bergen, Norway; Region Stockholm, Malmö konstmuseum, Malmö, Statens konstråd, Röhsska museet, Göteborg, Uppsala konstmuseum, Uppsala, Umeå kommun, Sweden; Nordnorsk kunstmuseum, Tromsø, KORO – Public Art Agency, Sparebank 1 Nord-Norges kunststiftelse, Tromsø, Norway; Rovaniemi Art Museum, Rovaniemi, Finland; Sámi Parliament, Norway; Lunds konsthall, Lund, Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå, Västerås konstmuseum, Västerås, Luleå kommun, Luleå Tekniska universitet, Piteå kommun, Region Västernorrland, Region Norrbotten, Kiruna kommun, Region Gävleborg, Sweden; RidduDuottarMuseat, Karašjohka, Norway; Folkets hus Gällivare, Folkets hus och parker, Ájtte - Svenskt fjäll- och samemuseum, Jokkmokk, Sweden.
AWARDS & PRIZES
Æresdoktor (honorary doctor), UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway (2026); Æresdoktor (honorary doctor), OsloMet University, Oslo, Norway (2025); Æresdoktor (honorary doctor), Universitetet i Bergen, Bergen, Norway (2022), Prince Eugen-medaljen (2020), Västerbottens-Kurirens kulturpris (2019), Stig Dagermanpriset (2019), Illis quorum (2017), John Saviopriset (2017), Per Ganneviks stipendium (2015), Filosofie (honoraray doctor), Umeå universitet (2014), Kauppistipendiet (2012), Asa Kitok-stipendiet (2011), Kulturstipendiet Rubus arcticus (2000), Norrländska Socialdemokratens kulturpris (1998), Anna Nordlanders pris för kvinnliga bildkonstnärer (1993).