Fredrik Prost is a Sami artisan and handicraftsman from Viikusjávri, a small village in the northernmost part of Sweden. In Viikusjávri he has his workshop and smithy. Prost’s traditional upbringing, in a family of skilled artisans and handicrafters inspired and taught him to make beautiful, intricate, and detailed Sámi art. Since the young age of 15, he has been using the tools of his ancestors to craft traditional Sámi knives, drums, bowls and cups, jewelry, and more. While he learned a great deal from working with the skilled artisans of his family, in 2001 he went on to study for three years in Jokkmokk, at the Sámi center of arts and crafts, to hone more abilities.
Prost is constantly aiming for the perfect balance of beauty and function in his work. The detail of every part of each object is significant. Prost forges his own blades. Like his ancestors, he makes leather and thread from reindeer skin and tendons. He collects wood and antlers from nature to use in his handcrafted traditional and art objects.
What has been his passion for over two decades continues to be his livelihood. His work has been displayed at major galleries and institutions all over the world such as the National Art Gallery of Canada, The University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI), Oulu art museum in Finland and Liljevalchs art gallery in Stockholm. He has recieved several awards, such as the prestigious Asa Kitok Award at the 2016 Jokkmokk Winter Market and two 1st Places during the knife competition at the Knifeweek in Ludvika Sweden in 2013. In 2017 he also had a solo exhibition at the famous Jokkmokk Winter Market in Northern Sweden.
Prost is also a writer with many published articles to his name and in 2023 he published his first book with the legendary Sámi publisher DAT. In his 350 page book he writes about the Sámi spiritual traditions and mythology. The book is only written and published in Northern Sámi, bringing forth the Sámi people’s animist world view in their own language for the first time ever. The book was in 2024 awarded for the Nordic Counsil’s prestigious Literature Prize, and became the first book only written in Sámi to be awarded for this award.
