Anders Sunna

Anders Sunna belongs to the Indigenous Sámi people, whose homeland, called Sápmi, extends across the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. His work arises from confronting the ongoing colonial oppression of the Sámi, positioning art as both a witness and a tool in the political struggle. In paintings, installations, and performances, he draws on personal and collective stories to expose the structural violence in state actions, particularly in the regulation of reindeer herding in Sápmi.

Sunna’s art combines documentary elements, symbolic imagery, and text in large-format, collage-like compositions, creating an immediate yet multifaceted visual language. Scenes of conflict and figures of authority intertwine with motifs from Sámi spiritual traditions, questioning prevailing historical narratives by adopting a perspective that resists erasure. His imagery is characterized by urgency and directness, as well as humor. His works confront viewers with the reality of colonial violence—land dispossession, environmental exploitation, and systemic discrimination—while simultaneously mobilizing cultural memory as a form of self-assertion. Objects such as the Sámi goavddis (drum), which were historically forbidden and destroyed, reappear in his paintings as signs of spiritual continuity and resistance. In this way, Sunna activates art as a means of making ongoing injustice visible.