Tomas Colbengtson (born 1957) grew up in a small Sami village near Björkvattnet in Tärna, north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. In his art, he asks questions about how the colonial legacy has changed the lives and landscapes of indigenous peoples, both Sami and other indigenous peoples. Having lost his mother tongue, Southern Sami, he works with visual art where Sami history and collective memory form the basis of his expression.
Constantly experimenting with new media and materials, from overlaid glass and metal prints to etching and digital art forms, he seeks to shape a language that can embody both the loss and renewal of Sami identity.
He is the initiator of one of the first artist residencies for indigenous artists, Sápmi salasta / Sápmi embraces. His work has been shown in numerous international exhibitions. He is represented at The National Museum (National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo) and at Sámediggi (Sami Parliament in Karasjok, Norway).
The Children of the Sun
Saemie drum, silkscreen and oil on canvas, gold leaf, wood, electric motor, brass ring
1200 × 900 × 400 mm, 2021
Giela dájva (Language landscape)
Oil on aluminium, 1210 × 970 mm, 2021
Residential School
Oil on aluminium, 1100 × 800 mm, 2021
Sápmie 2021
Screen printing on PVC, 2000 × 650 mm, 2021
Defaced
Screen printing on PVC, 2000 × 650 mm, 2021
Swedish Swedish 
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