Swedish-Sámi artist, artisan and teacher
Per Isak Nikolaus Juuso, born 1 May 1953 in Karesuando parish, Norrbotten County, Sweden,[1] is a Swedish-Sámi artisan and teacher.
Biography
Per Isak Juuso grew up in Mertajärvi, south of Karesuando.[2] His parents were active reindeer herders and he learned to be an artisan from them.[3] He trained to become a silversmith,[3] then furthered his education in metal and design, the latter for the textile artist Wanja Djanaieff.[4] He has also studied pedagogy at the Sámi University of Applied Sciences in Kautokeino.[2]
Juuso has worked in metal, wood, horn, leather and textiles and has been a leading developer of modern Sámi handicrafts (daidda duodji).[3] He has worked as a Sámi handicraft teacher at the Sámi Folk High School in Jokkmokk and then as a teacher in duodji (the traditional Sámi handicraft) part-time at the Sámi University in Kautokeino.[4]
Juuso lives and works in Mertajärvi, where he has his studio.[2] He received a Sámi Artists' Council work scholarship of 200,000 Norwegian kroner in January 2012.[5] He has had exhibitions of his work in Sápmi, Canada, Japan, USA and Iceland,[2] and his works have been bought by government and public bodies as well as by private collectors.[4]
References