ÅSNE KUMMENEJE MELLEM

Åsne Kummeneje Mellem uses art as an arena for exploring her Kven identity and belonging. Through Kven craft, called käsityö, she seeks to create a space for dialogue and to reveal a generational gap in the transfer of knowledge. Using conversations with witnesses of history as her starting point, she pieces together fragments of a culture that has been on the verge of extinction. At the same time, she experiments and adds her own expression – thus helping the culture not only to breathe but also to be relevant and continue to grow. At the juncture between traditional crafting techniques and creativity, Åsne Kummeneje Mellem explores the nuances of käsityö – what it has been and what it can be in the context of contemporary art. By using traditional techniques and materials in her own way, she wishes to create a room for dialogue about the Kven culture and identity. Natural materials and recycling are important elements of käsityö,and in her textile works, Åsne Kummeneje Mellem has focused on the art of natural dyeing with stone lichen, a common plant in the north of Norway. 

Åsne Kummeneje Mellem (b. 1995) lives and works in Tromsø, Norway. She studied at Oslo National Academy of the Arts and Tromsø Art Academy / the Arctic University of Norway (master’s degree, 2021). She has participated in several group exhibitions, among others, at Gallery Napa – Rovaniemi and at Tromsø Art Society. Her recent solo exhibitions have been at SOFT galleri in Oslo, Vadsø Museum and Kvitnesgården in Tromsø. She is one of the initiators of the recently-established Kvääni Taiteilijat (Kven artist society) and is active in several arenas in the Kven milieu. Kummeneje Mellem is the first Kven artist to have works purchased by Northern Norway Art Museum in Tromsø.