The vast forests in Russia – called the Russian taiga – have over the past hundred years been of great importance to people along the cold coasts of Northern Norway, Greenland, Svalbard and the Kola Peninsula. The great rivers of Siberia were used for floating timber as the need for timber in Europe was enormous in the 1800s and 1900s. A lot of timber has drifted past the booms and into the Arctic Ocean. From here, the Gulf Stream has taken it under the ice where it has frozen solid. After many years the ice has thawed along the coast of Greenland and provided the Inuit with vital material for sledges, huts and fuel.

Timber that missed Greenland was carried by the Gulf Stream along Norway’s coast, where storms sometimes washed it into sheltered bays, providing vital wood for Northern Norwegians - illustrated by a log from Grense Jakobselv (600 km east of Kirkenes) displayed in the gallery.

Imagine that here in the Kirkenes area, we have Norway's oldest mountain, dating back 2,900 million years. We are talking about a grey, banded gneiss, part of the ancient rocks of Sør-Varanger and the Kola Peninsula. Uranium-lead dating shows that this rock is 2,903 million years old. Even more remarkable, in Pasvik, 50 km south of the Snow Resort, the Finnish Geological Survey discovered a gneiss that may be as old as 3,690 million years.

During the ice age, Kirkenes and Sør-Varanger were covered by a 2 km-thick layer of ice. As the ice began to melt, it sculpted the mountains into rounded mounds. Around 10,000 years ago, the first coastal strip emerged in Bøkfjorden.

As the ice tumbled into the sea, similar to what we now see when the Greenland ice sheet calves, it left behind polished rocks, a lasting imprint of this immense natural history.

Inger Blix Kvammen’s work deals with topics such as migration and cultural exchange across borders, particularly in the context of indigenous cultures in the Barents region. She lives and works in the town of Kirkenes, in the county of Finnmark.

Blix Kvammen has developed a unique method of using textile techniques such as crochet, weaving and metal embroidery that conceptually combines decorative shapes, like necklaces or bracelets, with stories and symbolic elements.

Website: Inger Blix Kvammen

Elisabeth Thorsen is a Norwegian shoemaker and artist living in Vardø!

She graduated from the Norwegian shoemaker school in 2008 and has been making art out of shoes ever since. She approaches her projects with a unique angle as she is making pieces of art, not merely functional footwear. Recycled material such as furniture, pencils, carpets, drapes and other unusual material such as ice, sugar and sports tape has all been included in her work. Her inspiration is from fairytales, nature, art and 70s movies. She also does performancesboth live and in video productions.

Artists Webpage: madebybetty.com

The gallery is one of Northern Norway's most visited sights. Over the years, the place has developed into a gem of personal architecture. You will find the facility on a hill above the river a little outside the town of Kautokeino in inner Finnmark. The Juhls family expresses itself in several forms within arts and crafts, and making jewelry became the most important thing. Juhls Silvergallery is Finnmark's first silversmith, established in 1959 - recreating the strong impressions that Arctic nature makes.  Under arched ceilings, modern Scandinavian applied art and handicrafts from faraway regions meet in a fairy-tale ornamented setting. Today, the operation is taken over by their daughter Sunniva. She is also a goldsmith and works with her own collection. Like her parents, she relies on a staff of skilled and committed employees.

Her jewelery is still made in its entirety at the growing site in Kautokeino, and thus carries with it something of the place's vitality and imagination. The workshop can be visited and is part of the facility itself.

Website: JUHLS SILVER GALLERY AS

Johan Sara Jr. is an innovative performer in one of Europe’s oldest song traditions, Sami music from the Arctic, the joik. His unique combination of joik and contemporary elements provides a hypnotic and meditative sound, which has been praised both at home and abroad. His music has confirmed his position as a vital, fresh and genre free innovator.

Born in Alta, he grew up in a culture where nature was everywhere and where the joik had a central position. He grew up with reindeer herders on the vast snow-covered tundra in the Arctic north. To Johan Sara joik is therefore so much more than an artistic expression; it is his history and legacy. He has through his own unique expression continued a thousand year old tradition by adapting the joik to his reality and his contemporary time.

Web: Stierdna record label

‍Facebook: Johan Sara Jr

Olle Blind, Tuorpon Sámi Village Dårajávrre

Olle Blind is recognized for his distinctive crafting style and the use of simple tools to created unique items, notably his horn belts. He is also the brother of Pelle Blind, whose survival story after an accident has become part of the family lore.

Mari Mette Bugge, wife of the highly recognized and skilled craftsman Jon Tomas Utsi, stands out as one of the few but talented female hard crafters within duodji, a field traditionally dominated by men.

Tomas Walkeapää, Karesuando, a former reindeer herder, has demonstrated great skill as a craftsman, particularly evident in the intricate engravings on his full-horn knives.

Egon Eriksson, Moskosel

Lars Levi Sunna, Åresjokk (1934-)

Born in Jukkasjärvi, Lars Levi Sunna, a prominent member of the esteemed Sunna family, integrated his craftwork with a spiritual journey as a priest. His artistic touch in decorating the organ of Jukkasjärvi Church and the other public works in Kiruna, affirms his reputation within Sámi handicraft.

Martin Kuorak, Sirges Sámi Village, Storlule (1940-)

Along with Esse Poggats, Martin Kuorak has been pivotal in the evolution of duodji, whilst firmly maintaining its traditions. Residing in Jokkmokk, he continues to be an active and highly esteemed craftsman.

Nikolaus Fankki, Kaitum (1927-)

As the patriarch of the Fankki crafting family, Niklaos has inspired his sons Erik and Peter, both renowned craftsmen, thus strenghtening the family's legacy in the craft.

Tore Sunna, Åresjokk (1942-)

Tore Sunna, the brother of Lars Levi, is another significant figure in duodji, the Sámi craft tradition. His works are marked by exceptional skill, a trait he shares with his brothers Helge, Knut, and Per.

Göte Lind, Björkbacken, Tärnaby

Part of Vapsleu Sámi Village and a reindeer herder, Göte Lind is noted for his extraordinary crafting skill, despite a limited output of 1-3 handgrips annually.

Hasse Labba stands out as a highly skilled utilitarian craftsman whose works deserve recognition for their finesse.

Per Utsi, Sirges Sámi Village, Vaisaluokta

Per Utsi is the father of Per Ola Utsi, former teacher at the Sámi folk high school, and the grandfather of Ola Magnus Utsi, both carriers of the family's crafting tradition.

Johan Fankki, Kaitum (1920-1999)

Living in a turf hut in Limit and forging his own blades, Johan Fankki is connected to Jon Pålsson Fankki, an icon of knife crafting. Johan's sons, Torsten and Magnus, are also acclaimed within the craft tradition, with Magnus featured in permanent exhibitions.

Per Isak Juusu

Esajas Poggats

Nils Johan Labba

Magnus Fankki

Sune Enokson

Per Omma, Sörkaitum Sámi VillageA Sámi craftsman and reindeer herder, Per Omma was a master in his craft until his passing in 1980.