Arctic art under the aurora

Gunnel creates wool, leather and textile pieces inspired by the Arctic
Her practice draws inspiration from the local art traditions of the Torne Valley
She has developed a local folk painting style to use on wool and textiles

Gunnel Tjäder is a contemporary craft artist and folk painter working with leather, wool and textiles. She finds inspiration for her practice in the Arctic landscape of Kiruna, Swedish Lapland, and in the rich cultural heritage of the Torne Valley. Her pieces reflect a blend of regional influences via traditional motifs in the folk-art tradition. She designs and makes everyday pieces like bags, mobile phone cases and decorations using materials including reindeer leather and wool. Inspiration comes from 18th-century peasant paintings, full of patterns and the strong red and blue colours that characterise her work. “For me, preserving the art and craft of northern Sweden is so much more than nostalgia,” she says. “It is a strong statement connected to my identity and a way to keep my roots and cultural heritage alive.” Gunnel is the co-founder of Ateljénord, a collective dedicated to promoting northern crafts.

Gunnel Tjäder is a master artisan: she began her career in 1996 and she started teaching in 2013

Discover her work

Stockholm shoulder bags

Giron mobile phone bag and shoulder bag

Kiruna church decorated matchboxes

Giron key pouches

INTERVIEW

My main source of inspiration is the Torne Valley and the Arctic environment where I live. I find a lot of inspiration in Kiruna’s iconic places too, and in nature. I have done a lot of pieces inspired by the northern lights, which provide amazing colours to play with. I was commissioned to create curtains with an aurora print for Kiruna's new Cultural Centre, ‘Aurora’.

Living in northern Sweden influences everything in my life. I favour warm and agreeable materials like 100% wool and reindeer leather. I buy reindeer leather locally from the family-owned tannery, Kero, where it is naturally tanned. I often represent our beautiful northern lights by mixing the colours myself to achieve the right hues. My craft is a way for me to represent my local region.

I often use a screen-printing technique called Iris print that uses many colours at the same time. The result produces colours that merge into each other, similar to the northern lights. I learned textile printing at art school and developed it to use it on wool. I mix the colours myself and print them, dry and then fix them at 100 degrees so they will be light resistant. It is complex, but it creates unique pieces.

For me, it is about keeping the heritage alive while adapting it to contemporary contexts. I think it is important to show our classic motifs in new ways, on bags, blankets, wearable items, so people can use them in modern life. I once made a blanket inspired by a traditional painting, and that was a success. I really hope that others will continue to use our local cultural traditions in the future.