Outi Pieski, Tate St Ives, Cornwall

In terms of attracting visitors, Tate St Ives has stiff competition, namely the area’s stunning countryside and coastline. But the gallery itself has strong links with the landscape through the many artists that have drawn to west Cornwall by its natural beauty. 

In 1928, artists Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood visited St Ives and met local artist Alfred Wallis. Nicholson later moved near St Ives with the sculptor Barbara Hepworth and the couple were soon joined by Russian-born artist Naum Gabo. This led to this small Cornish town becoming a centre for British art during the 1950s and 60s.

Building on this artistic reputation, Tate St Ives opened in 1993. It was expanded in 2017 with the addition of a large temporary exhibition space. 

Since then, one strand of its temporary exhibitions programme has focused on bringing fresh perspectives to figures such as Heron, Gabo and Hepworth. A second strand has featured contemporary artists who the gallery feels reflect the spirit of experimentation and radicalism of those earlier artists.

The current show, which opened on 10 February and runs until 6 May, features the work of Outi Pieski who was born Helsinki, Finland, in 1973. Pieski is a member of the Sámi people, an Indigenous group that lives in a region spread between Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Working mainly with painting and installation, her work explores the spiritual relationship between humans and their environment.

Porthmeor Studios is one of the key artistic sites in the town, and it was here where Pieski created an installation for her Tate St Ives show.. The Grade II-listed building, which was built in the early 1800s for the fishing industry, overlooks a gorgeous beach that is often full of sun-seekers, surfers and swimmers. The studios have hosted Heron and Nicholson as well as artists such as Francis Bacon and Whilhelmina Barns-Graham. 

Pieski’s exhibition represents a growing interest in the work of indigenous artists, although the term perhaps misleadingly unites a disparate group that are spread across the globe. Greater recognition of Indigenous contemporary artists is evident at large-scale global art events, such as this year’s Venice Biennale, as well as in UK regional galleries such as Ikon in Birmingham and The Box in Plymouth, both of which have held exhibitions featuring artists who fall under this category. 

Adding to this interest, Tate has just announced an initiative to bring more work by Indigenous artists into its collection. The programme launched with acquisitions of two works by Pieski, both of which can be seen her show in St Ives. One is a woven hanging installation, Guržot ja guovssat/Spell on You!, from 2020, while the other is its companion piece Skábmavuođđu/Spell on Me!, which was created at her residency at Porthmeor Studios.

Pieski also represents a growing interest in artists who are happy to describe themselves as activists. She says her art is created very much for the Sámi people, not the international art community. Her art is partly an attempt to reconnect with elements of Sámi culture that have been lost following Scandinavian colonialism and the erasure of Indigenous people’s traditions. Some of the works are made in collaboration with other Sámi women.

Drawing inspiration from Sámi visual heritage, Pieski’s large-scale textile installations feature tassels based on traditional clothing. They also reflect the concept of “duodji”, an Indigenous craft practice that was marginalised in the wake of the colonisation of Sápmi, the Sámi people's own name for their traditional territory. By practicing this often women-led way of making, Pieski seeks to strengthen sacred relationships between her work and her ancestral land, a concept known as “rematriation”.

More and more artists are becoming interested in climate issues, and it is no surprise that it is a crucial issue to an indigenous artist such as Pieski. Here work is very much rooted in the landscapes of the Sámi region, where environmental degradation and land rights have been sources of conflict.

Historically, many indigenous communities have been at the forefront of battles to protect land from exploitation by global mining and petrochemical companies. Pieski is particularly concerned with what she describes as “green colonialism”, and the ongoing exploitation of indigenous land, albeit under the banner of sustainability and environmentalism.

This is a fascinating show that raises questions about a whole host of issues, including the rights of indigenous people, art and activism and the relationship between humans, animals and nature.