Stuart McLachlan Homebound 6th November 2024 - 30th November 2024

Hej Då Hem 2024, Arches watercolour paper and glue, 70cm x 38cm x 30 cm

Hej då Hem translates to 'goodbye home'. Many people leave behind their towns and villages of origin in search of greater opportunities. Often this is by choice, however this wasn't the case for the indigenous people of Sweden: the Sami. The Sami are traditional reindeer herders and are being pushed out of their towns and herding areas due to mining in the UNESCO World Heritage listed site of the Laponian area. A British company Beowulf was granted rights to mine iron ore just outside the town of Jokkmokk. Since then, the water and air have become dangerously polluted by mining dust and some towns have been made uninhabitable and dangerous to live in due to very poor air quality. Some of the largest rare-earth deposits in Europe have also been discovered in the Sami regions near Kiruna. The impact to these environments and the Sami people’s home is immeasurable.