Lars Pirak (27 July 1932 – 2 October 2008) was a Lule and North

Sámi The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are a Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, Rus ...

artist,

yoik A joik or yoik (anglicised, where the latter spelling in English conforms with the pronunciation; also named , , , or in the Sámi languages) is a traditional form of song in Sámi music performed by the Sámi people of Sapmi in Northern Europe. ...

er and

duodji {{Peacock, date=May 2022 Duodji is a traditional Sami handicraft, dating back to a time when the Sami were far more isolated from the outside world than they are today. Duodji tools, clothing and accessories are intended to primarily be functiona ...

master from

Jokkmokk Jokkmokk (; smj, Jåhkåmåhkke or ; se, Dálvvadis; fi, Jokimukka) is a locality and the seat of Jokkmokk Municipality in Norrbotten County, province of Lapland, Sweden, with 2,786 inhabitants in 2010. The Lule Sami name of the place (composed ...

, Sweden. The Faculty of Arts at the

University of Umeå A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

conferred an honorary Doctorate on Pirak in 2003 in recognition of his contribution to the Sámi culture.

Early life

Pirak was born to a family in the Tuorpon

siida The siida is a Sámi local community that has existed from time immemorial. A ''siida'' ( se, siida; smn, sijdâ; sma, sïjte; smj, tjiellde; sjd, сыййт, translit=syjjt; sjt, се̄ййп, italic=no, translit=siejjp; sms, paalǥâskå ...

. He grew up at Luovaluokta near Lake Karats in Sweden. Already at the age of 18 he was known for his skills in Sámi

. In addition to his work with the traditional Sámi materials, he also painted with both watercolors and oil. Pirak created works of art for the Sámi Folk High School ( sv, Samernas folkhögskola) in Jokkmokk and for the town hall in

Piteå Piteå () is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. Piteå is Sweden's 58th largest city, with a population of 23,326. Geography Piteå is located at the mouth of the Pite River ( sv, Piteälven), at th ...

. He also has pieces in museums across the world.

Saltripan

The Saltripan are Pirak's most well known sculptures. These white

salt cellar A salt cellar (also called a salt, salt-box and a salt pig) is an article of tableware for holding and dispensing salt. In British English, the term is normally used for what in North American English are called salt shakers. Salt cellars can be ...

s are made from reindeer antler in the shape of a

ptarmigan ''Lagopus'' is a small genus of birds in the grouse subfamily commonly known as ptarmigans (). The genus contains three living species with numerous described subspecies, all living in tundra or cold upland areas. Taxonomy and etymology The ge ...

. The bowl forms the body of the ptarmigan and the

spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for ...

its tail.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pirak, Lars Swedish Sámi people Sámi artists Swedish artists 1932 births 2008 deaths