3.-14.01.2026

Where the Water Breaks Its Neck: Nukhuko is the first Finnish solo exhibition by Lyuba Sautina, curated by Adel Kim. It presents recent works that explore questions of legacy, belonging, and the rigid frameworks of national identity. Working with textile and mixed-media pieces made from second-hand fabrics, leather, goldwork, embroidery, and found objects, Sautina translates personal experiences into material form.

The exhibition centers on a new project titled Nukhuko, which marks the first step of the artist’s search for her own identity. In this body of work, Sautina turns to her Nenets heritage. The Nenets, the largest of the Samoyedic peoples, inhabit the northwestern regions of Russia. Despite this ancestral connection, the artist has been largely deprived of Nenets culture, having neither lived in these territories nor been included in the extended family circle.

Approaching this inherited absence from a personal perspective, Sautina continues her engagement with themes of childhood and motherhood. In her distinctive artistic manner, she reflects on traditional Nenets dolls known as nukhuko, creating her own versions while carefully preserving their key elements.
Through these works, she reclaims a connection that was never fully accessible to her, engaging with Nenets legacy with respect and care.