Máret Ásllat Ivvár Ovllá Nilla Ritni Ráste, Ritni Ráste Pieski is a Deanu river sámi storyteller, choreographer, dancer, performer, and drag artist. He is passionate about stories, dreaming, and playfulness, and dreams of an anti-colonial, liberated society. In drag, he is known as Ritni Tears. Pieski graduated as a Bachelor of Dance from the University of the Arts Helsinki in 2023 and has been working as a freelancer in the performing arts ever since. His latest projects include Indigenous Drag Excellence XXL and Girjái.

Ritni Ráste Pieski. Photo: Melissa Linsa.

Máret Ásllat Ivvár Ovllá Nilla Biret-Iŋgá, Biret-Iŋgá Pieski is a Deanu river Sámi dancer, performer, and fashion enthusiast. They have performed in various dance productions at Sibelius Upper Secondary School, at the “Liikkeellä marraskuussa” festival in Ingri Fiksdal’s Diorama, and at Zodiak in Ásrún Magnúsdóttir’s Listening Party. Recently, they have been working as part of Girjái – decolonial queer utopia group. 

For Pieski, art is about creating a sense of coexistence and shared spaces. They are interested in mediating the joy and feeling of community that dance brings, and opening up the freedom of movement expression to people as a unifying, restorative experience. They focus on emphasizing personal experience and interpretation in their art, following the principle of “take what resonates with you.” Their main goal is to break down the assumption that someone can’t dance and what dance should look like or feel like.

Biret-Iŋgá Pieski. Photo: Biggá-Risten Pieski.

Pessi Jouste is a Sámi artist who is currently studying Northern Sámi in Inari. A key member of the band VIMMA, which addresses the ecological crisis. Jouste's other bands include Ulla Pirttijärvi & Ulda and Suõmmkar. In addition, Jouste is a part of the working group for Girjái.

Pessi Jouste. Photo: Melissa Linsa.

Aju Jurvanen is a lighting designer, performance artist, and light artist whose artistic interests have recently focused on queerness and the politics of physicality. Performances they have been involved in have been seen as part of the Baltic Circle and URB festivals, among others. Jurvanen is currently studying cultural studies and the Karelian language and culture at the University of Eastern Finland.

Aju Jurvanen. Photo: Aju Jurvanen.

Helmi Hagelin is a Sámi costume designer, fashion designer, and artist who engages in societal discourse through visual means. Through their work and art, they aim to challenge and make visible the prevailing structures and their impacts. Currently, they are particularly interested in intersectionality and how members of minority groups are perceived in society. They examine these topics from a queer Sámi perspective. Helmi Hagelin is an industrial and brand designer with a focus on wearable design.

Helmi Hagelin. Kuva: Lotta Hagelin.

Kai Mikkel Balto is a Sámi visual artist from Romsa and Kárášjohka. He wishes to challenge traditional Sámi handcraft with queer expressions and further explore Sámi queerness through his artistry. 

Balto holds a Bachelor's degree in Digital Art and Animation from University of Inland Norway and has studied Sámi handicrafts at Samernas Utbildningscentrum and Sámi University of Applied Sciences. He wishes to explore his artistry by combining visual art with Sámi handcraft.

Kai Mikkel Balto. Photo: Ørjan Marakatt Bertelse.