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1980-1989
A selection of embroidered works from the 1980s
Mardröm / Nightmare
1984
Embroidery on linen
55 x 55 cm
Region Gävleborgs län
Sámi belief includes deities who watch over the home and family. They were known as the akkor, female deities closely connected to the goahti – the traditional Sámi home.
Maderakka was the primordial mother and goddess of fertility, the ancestral mother of all human beings. She lived in the earth beneath the goahti. Her three daughters each had their own sphere of responsibility: Sarakka promoted childbirth and fertility, Uksakka protected newborn children at the entrance of the goahti, and Juksakka was believed to have the power to transform a female child into a male child in the womb. Påssioakka watched over the sacred rear part of the goahti as a protective spirit and also granted permission for shooting and hunting.
It is this protective power that lies at the heart of Britta Marakatt-Labba’s embroidery Mardröm (Nightmare). The work captures the moment when that protection breaks down – when a horde of rats invades the sacred space, transforming what should be a place of safety into a nightmare.
Embroidery on linen
55 x 55 cm
Region Gävleborgs län
Sámi belief includes deities who watch over the home and family. They were known as the akkor, female deities closely connected to the goahti – the traditional Sámi home.
Maderakka was the primordial mother and goddess of fertility, the ancestral mother of all human beings. She lived in the earth beneath the goahti. Her three daughters each had their own sphere of responsibility: Sarakka promoted childbirth and fertility, Uksakka protected newborn children at the entrance of the goahti, and Juksakka was believed to have the power to transform a female child into a male child in the womb. Påssioakka watched over the sacred rear part of the goahti as a protective spirit and also granted permission for shooting and hunting.
It is this protective power that lies at the heart of Britta Marakatt-Labba’s embroidery Mardröm (Nightmare). The work captures the moment when that protection breaks down – when a horde of rats invades the sacred space, transforming what should be a place of safety into a nightmare.
Kråkorna / The Crows
1981
Embroidery on linen
40 x 100 cm
KORO
The work depicts the protests against the development of the Alta River in Finnmark, northern Norway, in the early 1980s. In Sámi mythology, crows symbolise those in positions of power. They stop at nothing and seize everything in their path; they are omens of misfortune or danger.
In Britta Marakatt-Labba’s work, the crows are transformed into Norwegian police officers wearing 1970s-style uniforms, moving in to disperse a peaceful demonstration. In front of a lavvu, the traditional Sámi dwelling, people dressed in Sámi festive clothing sit in protest.
Embroidery on linen
40 x 100 cm
KORO
The work depicts the protests against the development of the Alta River in Finnmark, northern Norway, in the early 1980s. In Sámi mythology, crows symbolise those in positions of power. They stop at nothing and seize everything in their path; they are omens of misfortune or danger.
In Britta Marakatt-Labba’s work, the crows are transformed into Norwegian police officers wearing 1970s-style uniforms, moving in to disperse a peaceful demonstration. In front of a lavvu, the traditional Sámi dwelling, people dressed in Sámi festive clothing sit in protest.
Färden II / The Journey II / Mátki II
1989/2021
Embroidery on cotton
31,5 x 70 cm
Modern Museum, Stockholm
Embroidery on cotton
31,5 x 70 cm
Modern Museum, Stockholm
Flygande nåjder / Flying Shamans
1986
Embroidery on linen
34 x 50 cm
Statens Konstråd
The shamans belong to another world. They do not have wings, but they can move by the power of thought. And they can help to set free those in need from those with power.
Embroidery on linen
34 x 50 cm
Statens Konstråd
The shamans belong to another world. They do not have wings, but they can move by the power of thought. And they can help to set free those in need from those with power.
Befriad / Liberated
1985
Embroidery on linen
31,5 x 43,5 cm
Västerås Museum
Embroidery on linen
31,5 x 43,5 cm
Västerås Museum
Barnafödsel / Giving Birth
1983
Embroidery and applique
29 x 48 cm
KORO
Embroidery and applique
29 x 48 cm
KORO
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