Loisti Gallery, Helsinki
2.01.2026-14.01.2026
Curator: Adel Kim
“Where the water breaks its neck: Nukhuko” is a solo exhibition of Lyuba Sautina, curated by Adel Kim. It presents recent works that explore legacy, belonging, and the rigid frameworks of national identity. Through textile and mixed-media pieces using second-hand fabrics, goldwork, embroidery, and vintage beads, Sautina weaves personal yet widely shared experiences into material form.
The new project, named Nukhuko, becomes central in this exhibition and marks the first step in the artist’s search for her own cultural identity. In these works, Sautina approaches her Nenets’ side of heritage. The Nenets, currently 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 never lived in or visited those lands.
Although she has never had full access to her Nenets family’s culture and knowledge, she approaches it from a personal perspective, continuing the themes of childhood and motherhood explored in her earlier works. In her distinctive artistic manner, she now reflects on Nenets dolls known as nukhuko, creating her own interpretation while preserving key traditional elements. Through these creations, she reclaims the connection she was never granted, treating the Nenets legacy with care and respect.
Adel Kim 