Synnøve Persen

Synnøve Persen (b. 1950) has been a leading figure in Sami art and culture for over 40 years. As a visual artist and writer, she has made a significant contribution to highlighting Sami identity in contemporary art. She was one of the founders of the Máze group, which played an important role in the development of modern Sami art.

Persen has also been an active advocate for Sami rights and participated in the hunger strike in front of the Storting in 1979 during the Alta conflict.

For her extensive artistic work, she was appointed Commander of the Order of St. Olav in 2018.

In 1977, Persen prepared a draft of the Sami flag, which became a powerful symbol of Sami identity. This draft is now part of the National Museum's collection.

Artist Statement

The series was created over a period of time from 1999-2002. It is called "Forest song" and is a song in memory of my daughter, who passed away in 1997. When I saw her for the last time, I felt like I was floating under the ceiling and wailing a song. The pictures are painted in such a way that I saw her lying in the coffin, floating under the ceiling. At the same time, the pictures became bright and light, but I spent several years formulating these few strokes with a brush, I took them out again and again, until one day they said they were finished.