Inuit Art Quarterly - Colour: Chromatic North by Inuit Art Quarterly

CONTENTS

35.4

Inuit Art Quarterly Colour

Front

Features

Back CURATORIAL NOTES

05 From the Editor

66 To Remain Connected by Jenny Irene Miller, Raven Moffett, Shauna Caldwell and Hannah Bennett

06 Meet the Contributors 08 Impact Update

TRIBUTE

72 Serapio Ittusardjuat by Blandina Attaarjuaq Makkik

5 WORKS

Out of the Earth

78 News

CHOICE

Philippa Iksiraq by Malayah Maloney

LAST LOOK

80 Ningiukulu Teevee

CHOICE

20 Taqralik Partridge and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory by Amin Alsaden ARTISTS’ CORNER

24 Where Inuit Artists Are Learning Together PROFILE

26 Shelly and Traci O’Gorman by Arnatsiaq Qvist

FEATURE

32 Granny Palettes Introduction by Taqralik Partridge

An Inuit sense of colour expressed through beadwork. ON THE COVER

FEATURE

40 The Arctic Is Not White by asinnajaq

The kaleidoscopic reality of the North captured through Inuit art. LEGACY

Katherine Takpannie — Tungujuangajuq #7 2017 Digital photograph © THE ARTIST

LEFT

48 Fashioned Off the Land by Jocelyn Piirainen

The Talurjuaq dye experiment that brought tundra plants to the runways. ARTIST PROJECT

58 Tauttuq by Katherine Takpannie and Taqralik Partridge

A collaborative meditation on the cultural, linguistic and aesthetic possibilities of colour.

Emily Joanasie — Atigi 2021 Cotton, bias tape and cotton thread COURTESY CARLETON UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY PHOTO JUSTIN WONNACOTT © THE ARTIST

ABOVE

Samaiyu Akesuk — Untitled (Stars and Northernlights) 2019 Coloured pencil and ink 28 × 25.5 cm REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION DORSET FINE ARTS © THE ARTIST

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MASTHEAD PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Inuit Art Quarterly is published by the Inuit Art Foundation.

Executive Director and Publisher Alysa Procida

President Heather Igloliorte Montreal, QC

Editorial Director Britt Gallpen

Vice-President Reneltta Arluk Banff, AB

Established in 1987, the Inuit Art Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organization that provides support to Canada’s Inuit arts communities and is the sole national body mandated to promote Inuit artists and art within Canada and internationally. This magazine relies on donations made to the Inuit Art Foundation, a registered charitable organization in Canada (BN #121033724RR0001) and the United States (#980140282). The Inuit Art Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada through contributions from the Reconciliation Secretariat at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage, as well as the Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Creates. Subscriptions subscribe@inuitartfoundation.org Canada: $33/yr. Excludes GST/HST. US: $44/yr. Elsewhere: $48/yr. GST/HST #121033724RT0001.

Guest Commissioning Editor Taqralik Partridge Deputy Editor Sue Carter Associate Editor Napatsi Folger Associate Editor Lisa Frenette Associate Editor Jessica MacDonald Assistant Editor Leanne Inuarak-Dall Assistant Editor Rachel Taylor Contributing Editor Bronson Jacque Copy Editor Tiffany Larter

Postmaster send address changes to Inuit Art Foundation. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

—

FROM TIME TO TIME WE MAKE OUR SUBSCRIBERS’ NAMES AVAILABLE TO COMPANIES WHOSE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES WE FEEL MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOU. TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THESE MAILINGS, PLEASE SEND YOUR REQUEST, ALONG WITH A COPY OF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION MAILING LABEL, TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE.

Goretti Kakuktinniq Kangiqliniq, NU Claudette Knight Toronto, ON

OPPOSITE (RIGHT)

Four Seasons of the Tundra: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer (Spring detail) 1991–92 173 × 119.3 cm

Michael Massie Kippens, NL Ryan Rice Toronto, ON Director in Training Isabelle Uyaralaaq Avingaq Choquette Montreal, QC

Advertising Manager Nicholas Wattson Art Director Maegan Fidelino

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. THE INUIT ART QUARTERLY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSOLICITED MATERIAL. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE INUIT ART QUARTERLY ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE INUIT ART FOUNDATION. PRINTED IN CANADA. DISTRIBUTED BY MAGAZINES CANADA.

Linda Grussani Ottawa, ON

ALL COURTESY WAG-QAUMAJUQ ALL © THE ARTIST

Fact Checker Amy Prouty

The Inuit Art Quarterly is a member of Magazines Canada. Publication date of this issue: December 15, 2022 ISSN 0831-6708 Publication Mail Agreement #40050252

Inuit Art Foundation 1655 Dupont Street Toronto, ON, M6P 3T1 (647) 498-7717 inuitartfoundation.org

Secretary-Treasurer Julie Grenier Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC

OPPOSITE (LEFT)

Ruth Qaulluaryuk — Four Seasons of the Tundra: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer (Winter detail) 1991–92 Embroidery floss on wool stroud 176.9 × 119.5 cm

Colour Gas Company Printing The Prolific Group

FOUNDATION Strategic Initiatives Director Heather Campbell

Inuvialuit Settlement Region Community Liaison Darcie Bernhardt

Operations Manager Brittany Holliss

Nunatsiavut Community Liaison Jessica Winters

Executive Assistant Alyson Hardwick Administrative Assistant Neena Jyoti Igloo Tag Trademark Coordinator Blandina Attaarjuaq Makkik

Nunavik Community Liaison Nancy Saunders Nunavut Community Liaison Jesse Tungilik Southern Canada Community Liaison Alberta Rose Williams

Annual Giving Manager Evan Maydaniuk Awards Manager Paige Connell Artist Portal Coordinator Alessandra Montefiore Digital Outreach Facilitator Danielle Douez Program Officer Kyle Natkusiak Aleekuk Social Media Coordinator Maggie Hinbest

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

FROM THE EDITOR

The impetus for an issue on colour in its numerous forms and in even more combinations sprung from sustained conversations between myself and guest commissioning editor Taqralik Partridge. For the past several years, we have shared articles on the histories of individual colours and discussed Inuit artistic sensibilities toward colour and the etymology behind Inuktut terms for hues—for instance, ivitsukaujaq, the term for purple in the Nunavik dialect, translates to “looks or behaves like grass.” This is one example among many of how a direct and observant relationship to one’s environment opens the door to a spectrum of colour that may be overlooked, or even ignored, by visitors. textile artists and their families in Talurjuaq (Taloyoak), NU. Our Features section closes with a collaborative artist project by cover artist Katherine Takpannie and Taqralik Partridge that takes the form of a call and response. Tauttuq brings together the perspectives of two talented artists as they jointly explore the cultural, linguistic and aesthetic possibilities of colour. I’d also like to thank one of our incredible, anonymous donors, who made the exclusive limited-edition lenticular prints of the project available to our subscribers. Their generosity enabled these two artists to explore new media and techniques to bring their vision to life, together. The result is nothing short of spectacular. Finally, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our outgoing board member Jamie Cameron. On behalf of the Inuit Art Foundation team, thank you for your generosity and service! As this year draws to a close, I hope this issue brings you a bright start to 2023. May the year ahead be filled with colour, beauty and new stories.

The pervasive colonial myth of the Arctic as vast, barren, cold and white has never had much to do with Inuit experiences of the land or home, argues artist, writer and curator asinnajaq in “The Arctic Is Not White.” Drawing on the sensory experience of place through sight but also sound and touch, this Feature captures a view of the North defined by vibrant and changing colours through works by Josie Papialuk, Nicotye Samayualie, Janet Kigusiuq and others. From the smallest pebble to the grandest vista, this article compels us to pause and to see the world around us with curiosity, wonder and admiration. This issue also reflects the alchemy of colour from the silica, lime, iron, manganese and gold used to create the vibrant glass beads employed by the six talented Inuit beaders featured here to the lichen, flowers and other arctic flora used by the Arnaqarvik collective to dye natural fibres in the 1970s. In “Granny Palettes: An Inuit Sense of Colour,” Taqralik Partridge shares the aesthetic of the ningiuqsiutik palette and its prevalence among a new generation of beaders. A culturally informed perspective on hue and pigment is similarly explored in this issue’s Legacy by curator Jocelyn Piirainen, whose writing sheds light on how a community-driven project has shaped the lives of several Colour

Britt Gallpen Editorial Director 5

Front

MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS

A behind-the-scenes look at the issue The IAQ asked the contributors for Colour to share with readers any surprises, inspirations or anecdotes about their work in this issue. Here is what they said:

The word nukariit means sisters or brothers, both in Inuktitut and Greenlandic.” ARNATSIAQ QVIST PROFILE: SHELLY AND TRACI O’GORMAN PAGE 26

“Although I am no longer living in the North, I always find ways to reconnect and usually that is through my personal memory and other artists’ work. While writing this piece, I began to truly appreciate the power of media and technology, which has allowed me to make new connections with Inuit across Turtle Island. Inuit share many things in common and I think we see and feel these connections best through art.”

MALAYAH MALONEY CHOICE: PHILIPPA IKSIRAQ PAGE 18

“When I began thinking about colour in the arctic landscape, I first thought of all the brush turning fire reds and oranges in the fall. It was a pleasant surprise for all the colours of the sky, snow and water to make themselves so present in the piece.”

ASINNAJAQ

THE ARCTIC IS NOT WHITE PAGE 40

This issue’s contributor illustrations are by Jessica Malegana Jessica Malegana is a multimedia artist from Aklavik and Inuvik in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, who currently resides in Edmonton, AB. Malegana creates illustrations using pencil, pencil crayon, watercolour and ink, as well as digital illustrations.

Visit her IAQ profile at inuitartfoundation.org/jessica-malegana Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

COVER SPOTLIGHT

It’s a gift to work with such a talented artist, whose work I have admired from afar and I feel lucky to be able to look closely at it and spend time with it in this way.” TAQRALIK PARTRIDGE ARTIST PROJECT: TAUTTUQ PAGE 58

Katherine Takpannie COVER SPOTLIGHT An explosion of brilliant turquoise glows on the cover of this issue of the IAQ, enveloping photographer Katherine Takpannie. Through her Amiat series, an ongoing exploration of colour and movement, Takpannie uses smoke bombs to “make the intangible, tangible.” Tungujuangajuq #7 (2017), captured beneath the Prince of Wales bridge or “black bridge” in Gatineau, QC, was a formative location for the artist in her youth. The resulting image is imbued with deep personal meaning and memory. Images from the Amiat series come together with original writing by Taqralik Partridge for the artist project Tauttuq (2022) starting on page 58 and on a special limited-edition lenticular cover for IAQ subscribers. For both Takpannie and Partridge, this project is a call and response to the possibilities and messages found in colour—cultural, personal, linguistic, visual and beyond.

KATHERINE TAKPANNIE ARTIST PROJECT: TAUTTUQ PAGE 58

“It’s always an incredible experience, collaborating with other Inuit. There is strength and beauty in the things we create together.”

ABOVE (LEFT)

Katherine Takpannie — Tungujuangajuq #4 2020 Digital photograph

Check out this issue’s artists at inuitartfoundation.org/profiles Colour

ABOVE (RIGHT)

Tungujuangajuq #1 2017 Digital photograph

ALL © THE ARTIST

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THANK YOU

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona COURTESY THE ARTIST

Inuit artists create breathtaking works every single day and the Inuit Art Foundation exists to support these artists as they forge their own paths. Donors create opportunities for artists; they provide a platform to showcase artists’ work and connect them with new audiences. These opportunities can support artists throughout their careers; artists like Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, who went from writing about art in the Inuit Art Quarterly (IAQ) to having her work featured in the same magazine. With the support of an IAF grant, Kabloona made the transition to being a professional artist whose work is now showcased by the likes of the British High Commission and a small company you may have heard of—Google. Donors help make a career in the arts possible for emerging artists. The first major hurdle any artist faces in creating works is accessing materials, especially emerging artists and those living in remote communities. Made possible thanks to the generosity of donors and a partnership with the Ontario Arts Council, the Indigenous Visual Artist Materials (IVAM) granting program helps by providing $1,000 to award recipients for tools and materials. Over the past two years, this grant has supported 22 artists like Kabloona, a multidisciplinary artist from Ottawa, ON, who creates ceramics, prints, graphic art and wallhangings. Her work is inspired by her grandmother, renowned Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, artist Victoria Mamnguqsualuk (1930–2016), and the

colours and bold shapes from the art of her great-grandmother, the internationally beloved artist Jessie Oonark, OC (1906–1985). In the early days, Kabloona practiced art when she was able to find materials and time. The IVAM grant she was awarded in 2020 made it possible to purchase materials required to expand her work. As a result, she began focusing on creating stunning 5 x 7 inch prints—an easily accessible medium that proved to be popular with admirers of her work. “Receiving this grant was a big step in me becoming a professional artist. Art is for everybody and this grant allowed me to stock up on material, helping to get my art into as many people’s hands as I could,” she says.

Donors make all the difference

Monthly supporter Legacy supporter Multi-year pledge supporter Endowment supporter Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award supporter Inuit Art Quarterly supporter IAQ Profiles supporter Artist Services supporter

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

THANK YOU

Tunisiniq Nunarjjuaq Piuniqsauqumut Circle

IAF Taqqitamaat Tunisijut Circle The Taqqitamaat Tunisijut Circle is a special group of donors who give monthly to sustain the IAF and create opportunities for artists. Amy Adams Lea Algar-Moscoe Mary Anglim Andrea Arnold Stephen Baker Vincent and Barbara Barresi Molly Blyth Robbin Bond Christopher Bredt and Jamie Cameron Tobi Bruce Catherine Campbell Sue Carter Catherine Dean Rosemary Delli Zuani Celia Denov Emmanuelle A. Desrochers Kelly Dickinson Hal Dietz Patricia and Donald Dodds

Tunisiniq Nunarjjuaq Piuniqsauqumut Circle is a special group of donors who have included a legacy gift to the IAF in their will. In doing so they will leave a meaningful legacy that supports Inuit artists for generations to come.

Judith DesBrisay Eleanor R. Erikson Warren Howard Kathleen Lippa Richard Sourkes Scott B. White

M.A. Konantz Katarina Kupca Martina Landry Nancy and Terry Lee Rebecca Lee Mike and Cindy MacMillan Samia Madwar, in honour of Hazar Shawaf Michael Martens, in memory of Miriam Bordofsky Roxanne McCaig Kathleen and Brian Metcalf Elizabeth Mitchell and Stephen Lloyd Stephen Morris, in memory of Aqjangayuk Shaa Rachel O’Neill Dawn Owen Clifford Papke Aarohi Patel Kara Pearce André Picard Ann Posen, in honour of David Braidberg David Pride Alysa Procida and Kevin Stewart David and Robin Procida Abdul Rahim Yeung Eva Riis-Culver

Kate Doorly Sophie Dorais Mathieu Doucette Melanie Egan Leslie E. Eisenberg Engelstad Family Lynn Feasey Kashtin Fitzsimons Maxime Fortin Lisa Frenette Britt Gallpen and Travis Vakenti Kik and Si Gilman Anik Glaude Dr. Andrew Gotowiec Linda Grussani Barbara Hale Andrea Hamilton Sari Hannila, in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Inuit survivors, and the artists who tell Inuit stories ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ Celia Harte Lisa R. Hartman Shawn Hassell Dianne Hayman Bryan Hellwig Brittany Holliss Amy Jenkins Rozanne Junker

Margerit Roger Bruno Savoie Leslie Saxon West Joanne Schmidt, in loving memory of Gail Schmidt Anwesha Sen Yu Song Michael and Melanie Southern Joyce and Fred Sparling Charmaine Spencer David Sproule, in memory of Robin Mercer-Sproule and Jean Katherine Sproule Suncor Energy Jacek Szulc Jay and Deborah Thomson Emilie Tremblay Gail Vanstone Nicholas Wattson Gord and Laurie Webster Claude M. Weil, in honour of Jim Shirley Elka Weinstein Peggy Weller Kim Wiebe and Aubrey Margolis Jayne Wilkinson Susan Wortzman and Glenn Smith and seven anonymous donors.

The Ikajuqtiit Circle changes lives all year long Members of the Ikajuqtiit Circle—those who help—are caring donors who protect and nurture the Inuit art community. As Ikajuqtiit Circle members, you provide opportunities for artists to explore their practices, learn new skills and grow. You raise global awareness and appreciation of Inuit art. The generous Ikajuqtiit Circle members listed on these pages make all this and more possible. Your support is especially critical now in these uncertain times. Thank you! Gifts listed here were made between September 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022.

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THANK YOU

Donors also provide a platform for Inuit artistic voices and perspectives. The IAQ is produced in part thanks to the generous support of donors, without whom there would be no regular opportunity to celebrate Inuit art on an international stage. Kabloona’s first experience with the IAQ was as a writer in the Storytelling issue published in Spring 2021, responding to Couzyn van Heuvelen’s artwork Qamautiik (2014). She authored “The Qamutiik,” a short story which shared a personal tale of life in the Arctic. In Winter 2021, Kabloona’s own artwork was featured for the first time in the Legacies issue’s Last Look section with an article written by IAQ Associate Editor Napatsi Folger. The article explored her print Ningiuq (2020), meaning “grandmother” in Inuktitut, an intimate tribute to her own grandmother that also highlights the importance of matriarchs across Inuit Nunangat. “I think every young artist struggles with seeing the importance of their own work and feeling like a professional artist,” says Kabloona. “Having my art published not only felt good, but for me was an encouragement that my art is worth continuing.”

IAF Tunisijut Circle With annual gifts of $1,000 or more, this incredibly dedicated group provides critical support to connect artists with opportunities and make an extraordinary impact.

$100,000+ RBC Foundation

Janice Gonsalves Inuit Art Society David and Liz Macdonald Paul Pizzolante John and Joyce Price Valerie and Hunter Thompson

$25,000–$49,999 Judith DesBrisay Willmott Bruce Hunter Foundation Power Corporation of Canada

$1,000–$2,499 Ameriprise Financial Judy Banning Vincent and Barbara Barresi Jordy Bell and Stephen Jacoby The Honourable Patricia Bovey Elise Brais Ben Caesar Gabrielle Campbell Susan M. Carter New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Geoffrey E. Clark and Martha Fuller Clark Fund Cosentino Emily Deming Paul and Mary Dailey Desmarais Marian Dodds, in honour of Dedie Dodds Arthur Drache CM, KC and Judy Young Drache DUCA, in honour of Frits Albert Begemann’s legacy, in tribute to his passion for Inuit art

$10,000–$24,999 Bruce Bailey, in honour of Pat Feheley Colourgenics Goring Family Foundation Erik Haites The Herb and Cece Schreiber Foundation $5,000–$9,999 Rene Balcer and Carolyn Hsu-Balcer Christopher Bredt and Jamie Cameron Andrew Chodos Lyyli Elliot Hesty Leibtag and two anonymous donors $2,500–$4,999 Kristiina Alariaq, Huit Huit Tours Ltd. capedorset-inuitart.com Patricia and Donald Dodds Eleanor Erikson Pat Feheley

Inuit Art Quarterly

Jon and Val Eliassen Fath Group/O’Hanlon Paving Ltd. Robert and Karlen Fellows Dave Forrest Peter Gillespie, in memory of Lyn Solomon-Gillespie, on behalf of the Solomon and Gillespie Fund Susan Hawkins Carol Heppenstall Jackman Foundation Rawlson King Charles Kingsley Elske and Jim Kofman Katarina Kupca The William and Shirley Lakey Family Fund at Edmonton Community Foundation Barbara Legowski Ann and Michael Lesk Kathleen Lippa Maija M. Lutz and Peter A. Tassia MacDonald Griffin Charitable Foundation Christie MacInnes Susan Marrier John McCaig Alison and Bruce McDonald Patricia McKeown Shannon Norberg and Jarvis Hall Susan Ollila

Winter 2022

THANK YOU

What a wonderful thing to put your money towards, supporting art in any way and especially helping artists who are just starting off. To the donors, thank you so much! The work we do as artists is important and has value—thank you for helping us to continue making art!” GAYLE UYAGAQI KABLOONA

OPPOSITE

Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona — Malina 2021 Woodcut 66.1 × 48.3 cm ALL © THE ARTIST

Danielle Ouimet and Paul Harper Joram Piatigorsky Ann Posen, in honour of David Braidberg Andrew and Valerie Pringle Shirley Richardson Sanford Riley Frances E. Scheidel Melanie and Michael Southern David Sproule, in memory of Robin Mercer-Sproule and Jean Katherine Sproule Marie-Josée Therrien Barbara Turner Gail Vanstone Jaan Whitehead Cathy and David Wilkes Susan Wortzman and Glenn Smith Norman Zepp and Judith Varga and three anonymous donors [3 ]

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Illannarijaujut Tunngavinngmit

Molly K. Heines and Thomas J. Moloney Bryan Hellwig Frederick Hooper Roger and Margaret Horton Chuck Hudson Dr. Heather Igloliorte and Matthew Brulotte Louis Jungheim, in memory of Floyd Kuptana Dwaine and Leslie King Lori Labatt Simon Lappi Dr. Ellen Lehman and Charles Kennel Val K. Lem Michael Martens, in memory of Miriam Bordofsky Keith Martin and Jackie Hatherly-Martin Kathleen and Brian Metcalf Elizabeth Mitchell and Stephen Lloyd Nancy Moore Allan Newell Suzanne O’Hara Lee and Sharon Oberlander Dawn Owen Martin Pâquet Alysa Procida and Kevin Stewart Wendy Rittenhouse Susan Rowley Kassie Ruth Paula Santrach

$500–$999 James and Marjorie Abel, in honour of Xanthipi Abel and Richard E. Winslow III Carole Ahmad and family Eleanor Allgood Dr. Jim Bader and Merri Van Dyke Devony Baugh Marc Bendick Jr. and Mary Lou Egan Jean Blane Rev. Gary Boratto Tobi Bruce Stewart and Lissy Bryan Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash Catherine Campbell Clive and Mary Clark Dr. Yvonne C. Condell David Deisley Hal Dietz Harald Finkler and Nadine Nickner Alain Fournier Britt Gallpen and Travis Vakenti Linda Grussani Cary Hart, in memory of Gary Hart Dianne Hayman

Celine Saucier Harriet Stairs Amalia Steinberg, in honour of Jeri Ah-Be-Hill Tom Suber and Cary Griffin George Szabo Carol Thrun Ann and Wayne Tompkins Dr. Joel Umlas Peg and Peter Van Brunt Nicholas Wattson Jonathan and Katya Weisz Peggy Weller The Wente Family Kim Wiebe and Aubrey Margolis Craig Wilbanks and Monty Kehl and eleven anonymous donors [3 , 4 , 3 ] $250–$499 Amy Adams Lea Algar-Moscoe Michelle Allen Beatriz Alvarez Mary Anglim Stephen Baker Brian and Carol Belchamber Jurg and Christel Bieri Woody Brown and Christa Ouimet Margaret Bursaw, in memory of John Maounis

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THANK YOU

Donors create opportunities for artists. Inuit artists continue to push boundaries, making stunning works of art that inspire audiences around the globe. Donors are part of that journey, helping create opportunities for new works to be created, for more creators to pursue their dreams and by sustaining platforms that raise the profile of Inuit art worldwide. In 2021 Kabloona embarked on a Creative Research Residency at the Art Gallery of Guelph, ON. Her residency culminated in a solo exhibition titled ᑲᔪHᐃᐅᑎHᐃᒪᔭᑦᑲ | Kajuhiutihimajatka: What I’m Carrying On, which ran April 19–August 28, 2022, and was co-curated by Taqralik Partridge and Shauna McCabe. Since then Kabloona’s trajectory has been astronomical, with her work recognized by art lovers around the world.

Denise Cargill Sue Carter Raymond Currie and Charlene Thacker Currie Celia Denov Nadine Di Monte and Michael Boland Fei Disbrow DK John Domsy Kate Doorly Sophie Dorais Nathalie Ducamp Andy Fallas Maxime Fortin Lisa Frenette Sally and Einar Gall Peter and Deirdre Gardner Mary and Ian Glen Peter Gold and Athalie Joy Dr. Andrew Gotowiec Dave Haber and Dominique Ritter Andrea Hamilton John Hanjian and Carmen Nowak Celia Harte Lisa R. Hartman Ainslie Harvey Shawn Hassell Anne Hearn Debby and Brian Hirsch Mame Jackson Melinda Josie Rozanne Junker Carola Kaegi Sonya Kelliher-Combs

Inuit Art Quarterly

Earlier this year she was invited by the British High Commission to be artist-in-residence aboard the Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship, HMS Protector, on its inaugural voyage to Canada. This experience highlighted parallels of isolation and teamwork that are present in everyday life for Inuit in the North and sailors at sea. She delved into these themes while creating Sedna & Protector (2022) which now lives aboard HMS Protector. Once back ashore, Kabloona was soon working away on a major project with tech giant Google. In recognition of the 2022 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, which is observed annually on August 9, she was commissioned to create three wallpaper backgrounds for Google Pixel phones used by millions worldwide, one of which is Helping Hands (2022). The increased exposure through this project has since resulted in a number of exhibition offers for Kabloona.

Leslie Roden-Foreman and Michael Foreman Kerstin Roger, in the name of Margerit Roger Margerit Roger Louise Rolingher, in memory of Dr. Ernest Reinhold, one of the founders of the Inuit Art Enthusiasts of Edmonton Charles Rubin Leslie Saxon West Joanne Schmidt, in loving memory of Gail Schmidt Mark Shiner Pat Sparrer Charmaine Spencer Sara Stasiuk Steinbrueck Native Gallery Colleen Suche Jacek Szulc Jay and Deborah Thomson Emilie Tremblay Dr. Anne Vagi Terry Vatrt Galerie D’art Vincent Gord and Laurie Webster Claude M. Weil, in honour of Jim Shirley Gail Wylie and Dave Wright Dallas Young and three anonymous donors [1 , 1 ]

Nancy Keppelman and Michael Smerza Dr. P. Koppinen Mary Kostman Carolyn Lawson Haidee Smith Lefebvre Barbara Legowski and Lewis Auerbach Kenneth R. Lister Marie Loyer Simone Ludlow, on behalf of Max and Karl Crain Roxanne McCaig Tess and Duncan McLean, in memory of Terry Ryan Robert Michaud Charles Moss and Dee Fenner Linda Netten Michael and Brenda Noone Donna and Hal Olsen Clifford Papke Alex Pappas and Ann Maners Bonnie E. Park Maria Parsons Aarohi Patel Kara Pearce David and Robin Procida Katherine Quatermass, in honour of Love and Loss: Tales from Imagined Lands Crowdfunder Abdul Rahim Yeung Leslie Reid Jim and Shelley Renner Eva Riis-Culver Bruce Roberts Prof. Nicolas A. Robinson

$100–$249 Jane and Wallace Altes Reneltta Arluk, in honour of Carver Kalluk Kirby

Caroline Arpin Anne-Claude Bacon Catherine Badke Donald Badke, in memory of Anne Badke H. Mary Balint Deborah Bates Heather M. Beecroft Catherine Birt Molly Blyth Katharine Bocking Robbin Bond Anne Borchardt, in memory of Claus Borchardt Stephen and Hazel Borys Karen Bradfield Margaret Brill-Edwards Jennifer Brown Kaaren and Julian Brown Ruth Brown John Butcher Dorothy Caldwell and William Woods Mary F. Campbell John Carr Mark Cheetham David S. Cherepacha Carol A. Cole Geraldine and Jeremy Cole Jill Coles Peter Coolican Sylvie Cornez Charles and Arline Crockford Ruby Cruz Fred and Mary Cutler George Dark Michael de Pencier

Winter 2022

THANK YOU

LEFT

Angu’juaq 2022 Ink 12.7 × 17.8 cm COURTESY NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE

Catherine Dean Anne-Marie Delaunay-Danizio Rosemary Delli Zuani Wilfrid Denis Department of Unusual Certainties Emmanuelle A. Desrochers Margaret Dimond Chris Dos Santos Mathieu Doucette François Dumaine Leslie E. Eisenberg Keith R. Evans QC Lynn Feasey Maegan Fidelino Robin Field Shirley Finfrock Gustel Fischer Kashtin Fitzsimons Chun Hoong Fong Melanie Foubert Joana Fraga Ed Friedman Friend of Inuit Artists JoAnne and Richard Fuerst Susan and David Gallpen Glenn Gear Anik Glaude Eddie Goldstein Deborah D. Gordon Karen and George Gorsline Patricia Grattan Kristine Greenaway Jill Greenberg Jill Grief Lizzie Haines Patt Hall

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Kathryn Hanna Sari Hannila, in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Inuit survivors, and the artists who tell Inuit stories ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ Telka Harms Clive Harvey Ian Harvey Tatiana Harvey Sara Hassan, in memory of Sharif Maher Hassan Janet Heagle, in memory of Fritz Begeman K.E. Heller-McRoberts Laurie Herd Rick Hiebert, in honour of Renzo Fernandez’s 40th Birthday Charles Hilton - Sculptor Brittany Holliss David Homan Warren Howard Allan Hughes Mike Hurry Jacqueline Hynes, Ph.D. Noorlizan Ibrahim Linda and James Igloliorte Jeannette Jackson-Thompson, in memory of Richard C. Thompson Faye Jacobs Drs. Laurence and Katherine Jacobs Amy Jenkins Stephanie K.

Kevin and Holly Kaminska, in memory of Claus Borchardt John and Johanna Kassenaar Jennipher and Jamie Kean, on behalf of Elizabeth O’Grady Anne Kearns Cathy Kirkpatrick Bryan Klein Jo-Ann Kolmes M.A. Konantz Jerry and Gail Korpan Julie L’Heureux Larry and Joyce Lacroix Dr. Virginia Lavin Huguette Le Gall Nancy and Terry Lee Rebecca Lee Wynne and William Lee Gordon Leggett Jamie Lewis Daryl and Marilyn Logan Denis Longchamps Bob Ludwig and Susan Baum Tanya Lukin-Linklater Peter Lyman Mike and Cindy MacMillan Samia Madwar, in honour of Hazar Shawaf Peter Malkin Dr. Neil and Elaine Margolis Jim and Mary Alice Mayerle Michelle McGeough Elizabeth McKeown G. Lester and Phyllis McKinnon Heather McNab Stephen Morris, in memory of Aqjangayuk Shaa

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THANK YOU

“I wouldn’t have gotten to this point in my career without [IAF’s] support. We’re all a little insecure as artists and that support was really important to me and continues to be very important,” says Kabloona, reflecting on how her career was supported by the IAF community. Kabloona’s story is one example of the important role donors can play as Inuit artists forge their own journey. IAF supporters are right there alongside artists for every project and initiative. Every IAF award, scholarship and issue of the Inuit Art Quarterly exists in part thanks to donors. Qujannamiik!

RIGHT

Helping Hands 2022 Ink and gouache 13.9 × 13.9 cm

Cathy Moser and Jeff Itzkow David L. Muir Ted Muir Scott Mullin Sophia Muylwyk My Art Syndicate Nahanni and Morea Suzanne F. Nash Gary Nelson Lou Nelson Louisa O’Reilly Marina Oeler Douglas Palmerton Penny Pattinson Kate Permut Father Colin Peterson Mimi Philippe Ed and Johannes Pien Richard and Annette Pivnick LuAnn and William Polk Robert Procida Mickey Ranalli Bayard D. Rea Dr. Timothy W. Reinig Marcia Rioux Jan Robinson Greg Rogers, in honour of the great work done by the Igloo Tag program Anita Romaniuk Barry Rosenberg The Ryan Family Judith Rycus Lynne B. Sagalyn

Inuit Art Quarterly

J. Salkowitz, DMD Dr. Jinder Sall Wally and Lenore Sapach Bruno Savoie Iris Schweiger Jeffrey Seidman Mari Shantz Elika Shapiro Scenery Slater Jean-Claude Sommier Yu Song Richard Sourkes Joyce and Fred Sparling Arlene Stecenko Clarence Stonefish Dr. Charles Haskell Tator Robert and Audrey Vandewater Louise and James Vesper Jon Vickery Voyages Carole Gobeil Travel Garnet Ward Brenda and Robert Watson John Weber, in memory of Mary MacDonald Elka Weinstein Karen Westrell Scott B. White Amanda Whitney Garland Austin Withers Mark and Margie Zivin and twenty-three anonymous donors [3 , 3 , 5 , 1 , 4 ]

Up to $99 Ariell Ahearn-Ligham Susan Anthony Andrea Arnold Brit Bachmann Dr. Diane R. Biehl Michael Boland Vicki Boutin Fiona Buchan-Corey David Burns Kevin Burns Jocelyn Bussieres Monica Bye Nilsen, love from Sápmi Ginger Carlson Jim and Cindy Carter Cobalt Art Gallery Madeleine Colaço Dennia Crowley Ed Dahl J. De Vincenzo Paulette Dennis Kelly Dickinson Hilary Dickson Maegan Didden Tracey Doherty, in memory of William Robert Mesher Kristin Dowell Katherine Ego Pat English Ian Ferrier Kathryn Fournier Pamela Fratti Paula Frisch

Winter 2022

THANK YOU

You can make the difference There are more than 13,000 Inuit artists working in Canada today. Many face barriers to making and showcasing their work, but all deserve the same opportunities other artists have for their voices to be heard and their work to be seen. By giving to the IAF, you help artists working across Inuit Nunangat and beyond connect to opportunities, have platforms for their work to be seen and build their careers. Celebrate the art you love and make a difference by donating today. To learn more about how to support artists, please contact us at 647-498-7717 ext. 104, visit us online at inuitartfoundation.org/ways-to-give or simply scan the QR code to the left.

Frank Gielen Kik and Si Gilman Pernille Goodbrand Susan C. Griswold Delan Hamasoor Alissa Hamilton Beatrice Hanson Alyson Hardwick, in honour of Delphine Shiwak Anna Holmes Albert and Femmeke Holthuis Andrew Hubbertz Elizabeth Hutchinson Phillip Innes Erika Janik Celina Jeffery Anne-Remy Jones Jeannette Jonker Simon Kahn Heather Keith Anne Louise Kelly Karine Lacasse Martina Landry Mary Lawrence Breinig Gretchen Lawrie Teresa Leon Dingwell Lexo Anastasia Lintner Marion Lord Suzie MacMillian, in honour of Mom and Dad Sophie Mailloux Wendy and Michael Main Geraldine and Peter Marshall

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Michael Massie Graham Mastersmith David and Maida Maxham Patrick McLean Joanna P. McMann Golda and Martin Mendelsohn Mary Jane Mikkelsen Heather Murdock Susan Newlove Paul Newman Lena Nicholls Marina Noack Rob Norquay Peter Noteboom Rachel O’Neill Keitrah Oakley Carole Ouimet, in honour of Christa Ouimet Morna Paterson Katie Pearl André Picard Clodine Portugais Steve Potocny and Anne Milochik Danielle Rand Isabelle Ranger Sharlene Rankin Mark Rieger Enid Rokaw Robert Rosenbaum Susan and Joseph Rountree Jonathan Rutchik Carol-Ann Ryan Donna Saunders Janet Savard

Kathryn Scott Patricia Scott Uma Selvarajah Paul Shackel and Barbara Little Sharon Lee Shafii Cindy Skrukwa Jan Carol Houston Smith Gregory Sonek Ann Sprayregen Horace Suffredini Take Two Software Sarah Taylor Karen Thorne-Stone Ian Trott Darlene Tymn Ukpik Inuit Art, on behalf of Alan Pinder Elizabeth Vadas Cindy Van Eindhoven Nancy Walkling, in memory of Frank Walkling Tiffany Wallace Jennifer White Michael Wiles Jayne Wilkinson Jennie Williams Fred Wurlitzer, M.D. and eighteen anonymous donors [1 , 1 , 2 , 4 , 1 ]

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5 WORKS

Out of the Earth IAF staff share the colours of their favourite grounded works 1/

Gilbert Hay

Natural Gas (1991) Created in the 1990s within the context of the negotiations for the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, Natural Gas collages together stone, minerals and gems as a Nunatsiavummiut commentary on offshore drilling. In steatite, Gilbert Hay depicts an Inuk balancing on his head while holding a crimson stone egg between his hands and ocean-blue agate slices between his thighs. A white maple leaf, a sodalite bear and jade hearts decorate the figure, each element addressing the political realities of Inuit and, in the artist’s words, “the uneven hold we have on the environment, land and sea.”1 LEANNE INUARAK-DALL

Contributing Editor

Peggy Ekagina

Musk Ox Woman with Braids (c. 1974) With wisps of smoke and ash, this ruby-red stone bubbles like lava, a reminder of the conditions in which it was created. Formed by the forces of the earth and then transformed by Peggy Ekagina (1919–1993) into the powerful creature standing before us, Musk Ox Woman with Braids ripples with heat and the passage of time. Ekagina created a number of variations on this theme, depicting women transforming into beasts while retaining their human faces and long

NOTES 1

RACHEL TAYLOR

Assistant Editor

LEFT

ABOVE

OPPOSITE (TOP)

Gilbert Hay — Natural Gas 1991 Steatite, sodalite and jade 59.7 × 40.6 × 15.2 cm

Peggy Ekagina — Musk Ox Woman with Braids c. 1974 Stone 4.4 × 9.5 × 2.5 cm

Mark Pitseolak — Little Bird 2008 Kimmirut lapis lazuli and serpentinite 6.4 × 8.3 × 3.2 cm

COURTESY WADDINGTON'S AUCTIONEERS AND APPRAISERS, TORONTO © THE ARTIST

COURTESY INUIT ART FOUNDATION © THE ARTIST

“Two Artists at Banff: Ashevak and Hay,” Inuit Art Quarterly, Summer 1991: 20.

Inuit Art Quarterly

braids. Sure, some of us working from home have become accustomed to zooming with bedhead. Meanwhile this woman is a muskox and still manages a flawless pair of braids that come together in a perfect point over her rump. But don’t compare yourself to her; like the colours erupting in Ekagina’s hands, she has been a long time in the making.

Winter 2022

5 WORKS

Abraham Anghik Ruben, OC

Transformation (1981) This 5 Works would not be complete without a piece from the incomparable Abraham Anghik Ruben, OC, whose works, like this vivid, patinated cast bronze fish, are always rich with colours not typically seen in Inuit sculpture. Ruben is well known for the mixed Nordic and Inuit themes in his work. The ovoid shapes along the body of the fish resemble the magnificent art of Coast Salish

peoples of the Pacific Northwest, where Ruben has made his home for more than 30 years. The fine details of scales and rippling waves are set off in Aegean blue as Ruben captures the perfect motion of breaching fish during spawning season.

Mark Pitseolak

NAPATSI FOLGER

Associate Editor

Little Bird (2008) Perhaps Qupanuaq (little songbird) being one of my given names drew me to appreciate little birds in all forms, be they in nature or, in this case, a beautiful sculpture by Mark Pitseolak (1945–2012). Pitseolak is renowned for his bird carvings—a keen observer of the fine and exquisite details that differentiate one from another. The bird’s delicately sculpted head is a bright green serpentinite with a hollow bottom, allowing it to be mounted onto the body and swivel. I am particularly captivated by Pitseolak’s use of Kimmirut lapis lazuli for the bird’s body. Kimmirut, NU, is one of very few places in the world with concentrations of this beautiful rare stone. Lapis lazuli has long been associated with the heavens by other ancient cultures, so it’s fitting that Pitseolak chose it to create this little bird. BLANDINA ATTAARJUAQ MAKKIK

Igloo Tag Trademark Coordinator LEFT

BELOW

Abraham Anghik Ruben — Transformation 1981 Cast bronze 102.9 × 85.1 × 127 cm

Damien Iquallaq — Muskox Sculpture 2018 Mammoth molar 30.5 × 27.9 × 10.2 cm

COURTESY INUIT ART FOUNDATION © THE ARTIST

Damien Iquallaq

Muskox Sculpture (2018) This muskox looks like it’s been electrocuted. Carved from a fossilized mammoth molar, the natural canary-yellow, sand, emerald and peacock-blue striations of the material send ripples along the animal’s body. These shockwaves are heightened by the furry texture that Iquallaq has carved on the surface. With the vertical tufts of Colour

hair sprouting along the muskox’s back, the wide white eye and the little slash of a mouth, I see a muskox that has been stopped in its tracks by something astonishing. JESSICA MACDONALD

Associate Editor 17

Front

CHOICE

Philippa Iksiraq Flowers

by Malayah Moloney

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

CHOICE

Iksiraq shares my excitement of springtime—when new forms of life are unveiled—by multiplying the arctic flora in thread as a reminder that spring is always just around the corner and that the harsh winter days don’t last forever.

Iksiraq’s wallhanging, accurately depicting the natural rhythm of the land by contrasting the dark duffle behind the expertly stitched white, magenta and denim-blue flowers, which are justly organized beside one another in their respective quadrants. Iksiraq shares my excitement of springtime—when new forms of life are unveiled—by multiplying the arctic flora in thread as a reminder that spring is always just around the corner and that the harsh winter days don’t last forever. From a young age, I was taught by my matriarchs which plants Inuit harvested to eat and which ones we used for fires. Besides ingredients, they are also treasures. In the spring and summertime, it was a pleasure to come home with handfuls of arctic flora and I would often marvel at what the land has to offer. I grew up with an understanding of natural reciprocity, as my community shared their knowledge of the land around us and made it fun for the kids to explore by hosting mini scavenger hunts to find things like five pieces of pussy willow or a cup of Arctic heather. Philippa Iksiraq’s wallhanging is a great reminder of my bright and wonderful days on the nuna.

Upon viewing this hand-stitched wallhanging by Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, artist Philippa Iksiraq, I started to recall what I would consider to be some of my favourite memories on the nuna (land). Her joyous artwork, containing a prismatic spray of flowers sewn onto a black felt backdrop, reminded me of the arctic flora that appears in spring as the snow melts and the journey to 24-hour daylight begins. As a child I attended Joamie Ilinniarvik School in Iqaluit, NU, where most of my recesses were spent exploring the tundra and what it has to offer. I used to walk around with an old tin can or a plastic container made for collecting bugs and instead collect plants. My free time consisted of gathering “my ingredients,” which were often bunches of Arctic willow, mosses, lichen or other leaves and flowers suitable for decorating my mud cakes. Nuna is bountiful, and one of the best snacks that us children would share on the playground is what we called “sweet leaves,” otherwise known as qunguliq or mountain sorrel. It was almost a race to find the best patch of these leaves because sometimes they’d be picked over by other people or maybe the leaves were too small and sour. My friends and I would pick as many as we could in our short 15-minute breaks to share amongst ourselves. Sometimes we would even bring them inside for the teachers who always showed their gratitude for sharing what we had learned about Inuit Nunangat from our traditional teachings learned both inside and outside the classroom. Each season brings new growth and it’s like a tease as the days get longer and you begin to see the small patches of blueberries and crowberries. This phenomenon is captured in

— Malayah Maloney is an Inuk undergraduate student in the Indigenous Studies program at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, and is also an Ilinniaqtuk (student) in the Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project. This year Maloney worked with her mentor Reneltta Arluk in conducting the performing arts component of the third Arctic Arts Summit in Whitehorse, YT.

OPPOSITE

Philippa Iksiraq — Flowers 1990 Felt, embroidery floss and duffle 66 × 66 cm COURTESY FEHELEY FINE ARTS © THE ARTIST

LEFT

Malayah Maloney on the land as a child, Iqaluit, NU, 2003

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CHOICE

Taqralik Partridge and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory Inissaliortut: Making Room by Amin Alsaden

ABOVE

Taqralik Partridge and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory — Inissaliortut: Making Room 2022 Two-channel video installation Dimensions variable COURTESY CANADIAN CENTRE FOR ARCHITECTURE © THE ARTISTS

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

CHOICE

The work is as much about confronting viewers with these truths as it is about celebrating how Inuit communities continue to survive, and thrive, despite the odds.

The pair stood there as though they were otherworldly oracles visible only through spectral images. Their gentle delivery contrasted sharply with the harrowing subjects of which they spoke. Anchoring the end of that oblong darkened space, their enlarged projected figures appeared like guardians of portals to a sacred ground. Taqralik Partridge and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory were indeed tending to Inuit Nunangat, relating what this territory and its communities continue to endure under settler colonialism. The installation Inissaliortut: Making Room (2022), a two-channel video set up as a dialogue between artists, is displayed as part of the exhibition ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Vers chez soi / Towards Home at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, QC. This work makes a powerful revelation: that colonialism is very much alive, its mechanisms of oppression destroy Indigenous communities and households and—deliberately or unconsciously—architecture is complicit in maintaining its dominion. That resonated with me deeply, not only because of my initial training in architecture, a field about which I came to have serious trepidations, but also because I am a displaced person from Iraq. My own ancestral homeland has been recently invaded by US–led forces, in one of the most brazen examples of neo-colonialism today. My country is being equally manipulated towards the colonizer’s political and economic gains; and spatial tools—from surveillance and mapping to planning and actual buildings—are being deployed towards maintaining that devastating stranglehold. The installation is monumental yet humble, projected onto pieces of plywood, which conjures warm domesticity. The eloquent dialogue is also deceptively simple, coming across as no more than a conversation between friends. But these kindred spirits reflect on colonialism as an industry that sustains itself by dispossessing the original inhabitants and plundering the riches of the occupied terrain. The orators present themselves as witnesses, sharing

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heart-rending narratives that speak to the deplorable conditions suffered by these communities and the cruel irony of the precarity of housing in the Arctic for Inuit populations on their own land. The work is as much about confronting viewers with these truths as it is about celebrating how Inuit communities continue to survive, and thrive, despite the odds. While the installation might be perceived as the least architectural work in the exhibition, it is by far the most profound, serving to connect the dots between architecture, colonialism and understandings of home. Architecture, under settler colonialism specifically, is one of the most explicit and physical methods of occupation, and this work unmasks the often unacknowledged role that the built form plays. Inissaliortut: Making Room also succinctly affirms that “home” cannot possibly be understood in colonized contexts without coming to terms with the forces that alienate communities from their homelands and without centring their sovereignty and right to self-determination. From land grabbing to legislation that ensures continued control over Indigenous territories and resources, the artists affirm that colonization is as real, as concrete and as detrimental as conventional architecture. Moreover, the work challenges existing historical narratives that narrowly focus on aesthetics in architecture while callously overlooking the harmful dimensions of its spatial regime. — Amin Alsaden is a curator, educator and scholar of art and architecture whose work focuses on transnational solidarities and exchanges across cultural boundaries. With a commitment to advancing social justice through the arts, his curatorial practice contributes to the dissemination of more diverse, inclusive and global narratives by decentring and expanding existing canons and challenging hegemonic knowledge and power structures.

Front

Rasa Smite + Raitis Smits, Atmospheric Forest, 2020, immersive VR installation

FEBRUARY 01 — MAY 13, 2023

CURATED BY JANE TINGLEY Free public reception Wednesday, February 01 from 6 to 9 p.m. FREE ADMISSION ocadu.ca/onsite Onsite Gallery, OCAD University, 199 Richmond St. West, Toronto, M5V 0H4

eXhibitiOn ARtisTS URSULA BIEMANN MARY BUNCH + DOLLEEN TISAWII'ASHII MANNING LINDSEY FRENCH GRACE GROTHAUS SUZANNE MORRISSETTE JOEL ONG RASA SMITE + RAITIS SMITS JANE TINGLEY WITH FAADHI FAUZI + ILZE (KAVI) BRIEDE

Drawing on Our History

Drawings by invited artists in conversation with drawings from CUAG’s collection Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, Kablusiak, Mélanie Myers, Nalakwsis, Sharon Norwood, Jay Odjick, Jagdeep Raina, Marigold Santos 29 January – 16 April 2023 Lucy Qinnuayuak (Kinngait, 1915-1982), Birds Carry the Sun to Birdland (1977), Crayon and felt-tip pen on paper, detail. Carleton University Art Gallery: The Priscilla Tyler and Maree Brooks Collection of Inuit Art. © Dorset Fine Arts.

cuag.ca

ARTISTS’ CORNER

Where Inuit Artists Are Learning Together The Inuit Art Foundation’s new Ilisarniq Series brings together artists, curators, writers and art administrators to engage in dynamic conversations with peers, learn new skills and expand their practices.

haven’t yet had such training. Other workshops are geared toward those who may have more experience, including how to submit work for purchase to major institutions, with a special emphasis on lowering barriers for Inuit artists. As part of the ongoing workshop series, in the upcoming “Marketing Your Art Through Social Media,” artists will learn how to engage new audiences and clients on diverse social media platforms. In “Career Paths for Artists,” seasoned professionals will share their tips and wisdom about building their careers. Artists can also expand their artistic skills with workshops on ulu making and doll sewing. “We’re going to help you demystify how the art world works and help you make a successful artistic career on your own terms,” says Dr. Heather Igloliorte, President of the IAF Board and Director of Inuit Futures.

Emerging from a special partnership between the IAF and Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project, the Ilisarniq Series of online workshops supports artists in forging their careers and building new skills. Honouring the importance of navigating today’s art landscape and celebrating traditional Inuit artistic skills, workshop attendees are diving into a wide range of topics. While some workshops focus on artistic skill building such as tool making and beading, others focus on professional development such as how to apply for grant funding. Each event in the series is guided by the Inuit principle of Pilimmaksarniq: the development of skills through observation, mentoring, practice and effort. Workshops have been designed to support artists at different stages in their careers and include the basics of writing an artist biography, curriculum vitae and artist statement—essential skills for artists who may be just starting out or are self-taught and

To learn more about the Ilisarniq Series visit: inuitartfoundation.org/ ilisarniq Inuit Art Quarterly

In Partnership

with support from

Winter 2022

ARTISTS’ CORNER

As a member of the IAF team I am excited about our new programs, and as an artist I look forward to connecting with others across Inuit Nunangat to share experiences and learn from our common challenges as well as inspirations.” HEATHER CAMPBELL STRATEGIC INITIATIVES DIRECTOR, INUIT ART FOUNDATION

Introducing a New Online Community for Artists Launching in January to support Inuit artists’ self determination at all career stages, the Developing Qanuqtuurniq: Artist Portal (DQAP) will be an online gathering place for Inuit artists with exciting opportunities to connect with one another and easily access resources. Inuit artists face unique barriers to having full autonomy in their careers. The IAF collected input from artists across Inuit Nunaat and Southern Canada to define these issues in greater detail. Some of the challenges that were identified through this process included the intimidating and confusing nature of grant application processes, as well as the persistent problem of slow and unreliable internet speeds across the North. There was also a clear desire among Inuit artists to connect with peers across Inuit Nunaat and those living outside Inuit homelands. Developing Qanuqtuurniq, named after the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principle

“being innovative and resourceful,” was created in response to these challenges and aims to create greater equity within the arts community and reduce barriers for Inuit artists. To address unreliable internet speeds and connectivity issues, the Portal will be available in a low-bandwidth version, and workshop videos will be accompanied by transcriptions and related articles to read offline for those who need it. Making grants more accessible is also a feature that will be built into the Portal: Inuit artists will have access to an extensive list of grants across Canada searchable by deadlines, artistic medium, geographic region and career stage. Connecting with other artists and receiving mentorship are crucial to artists who are just starting their careers. Emerging artists, especially in remote communities, sometimes struggle with connecting to a network of peers. It can be intimidating to reach out and ask questions of another

artist without knowing who might be open to a discussion. The Portal will make connecting easy as each member can securely provide their contact information to other members and specify what aspects of mentorship and collaboration they are open to—eliminating the “cold call” aspect of networking. Artists will be able to connect with others to receive advice and encouragement on grant applications, project collaborations, sourcing materials and more! Once registered, artists will also have access to a range of professional and creative skill workshops. Topics found on the Portal will include learning how to throat sing, etch glass and cut and sew fur. Registered artists can listen to conversations on Inuit art sovereignty, writing an artist bio and social media marketing.

Follow us on social media @inuitartfoundation or sign up at inuitartfoundation.org/ newsletter to learn about upcoming workshops and how to register for the Portal! The Developing Qanuqtuurniq: Artist Portal is led by a Digital Advisory Committee: Thomassie Mangiok (artist, founder of Pirnoma Technologies Inc.), Dayle Kubluitok (artist), Eldred Allen (artist), Sonya Kelliher-Combs (artist), Dez Loreen (writer, actor, filmmaker) and Robert Kautuk (artist).

Developing Qanuqtuurniq: Artist Portal

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. OPPOSITE

Participants from the Ilisarniq Series “C.V. Writing for Inuit Artists” workshop that took place on May 26, 2022. Clockwise from top right: Heather Campbell (workshop leader) with attendees Ella, Annie and Katelin COURTESY THE ARTISTS

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Front

PROFILE

Shelly and Traci O’Gorman

by Arnatsiaq Qvist

When discussing how she and her sister Traci O’Gorman create their colourful kalikuks, Shelly O’Gorman says “sometimes [colour coordinating] is difficult, but this is our favourite part.” As the sister duo behind Nukariit Creations, an online business selling handmade Inuit traditional garments, the O’Gormans specialize in kalikuks, traditional lightweight shells that are used in spring and summer to gentle the arctic breeze and often feature decorative trim in a rainbow of colours. These garments require patterns, tools and an array of sewing skills to create from start to finish. But how do the sisters choose what colours to go with when there are endless possible combinations of fabric designs and colour-coordinating embellishments? Inuit Art Quarterly

Originally from Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU, but now living in Yellowknife, NT, Traci has been sewing for as long as she can remember. She sewed dolls as a young girl with the help of her aunt and, growing up, learned a lot from her mom, Clara Evalik, and an Inuinnaqtun class at school. Shelly, still based in Iqaluktuuttiaq, only picked up sewing in 2019 when she started making kamiit with help and guidance from other sewists. It wasn’t until an extended pandemic quarantine in 2020 that Shelly started making kalikuks with the help of her mom, spurring Traci to make a kalikuk for herself. Both sisters run Nukariit Creations alongside full-time careers in other fields. When she made her first kalikuk, 26

Shelly quickly realized she wanted to continue sewing and creating. When both sisters started showcasing their creations on Instagram in April 2021, they got requests and orders from friends and family to make them, and so their business was born. The sister duo typically tries to match trimmings to the colours of the fabric, and even if the match is not perfect, it comes out beautifully. One of the kalikuks created by Traci has the main fabric printed with beaded florals and hummingbirds on a solid black background. The green, light-blue, navy and black embellishments match some of the colours of the printed beads. These trimmings accentuate the striking design, especially the front pocket which goes all the way up from Winter 2022

PROFILE

the bottom of the bodice to the hood and creates a beautiful symmetrical line. “[There are] so many fabric options, bias tape and ric rac colour options and we start putting combinations together to find the best suited. Each kalikuk is unique. No two are the same. We create more with the same fabric, but each colour theme differs,” says Shelly. “If we’re having difficulty choosing colours, we usually walk away and return to it. Works every time.” Inspiration comes from sharing their work with each other and from making kalikuks with their mom, who is the third, silent partner in Nukariit Creations. “We are so happy and fulfilled sewing kalikuks,” says Shelly. “We feel blessed to have found this journey and to be able to share it with the world.” When asked what’s next for the business, they answered, “We are enjoying where we are at with Nukariit, sewing and sharing our work, meeting new people and artists.” Their next step is to make their pieces more accessible to customers: “Hopefully, we will soon be able to attend different conferences, workshops and trade shows to share our work in person.”

OPPOSITE (LEFT)

ABOVE (LEFT)

Shelly O’Gorman — Kalikuk 2022 Cotton fabric and trim

Traci O’Gorman — Kalikuk 2022 Cotton fabric and trim

OPPOSITE (CENTRE)

ABOVE (RIGHT)

Traci O’Gorman — Kalikuk 2022 Cotton fabric and trim

Traci O’Gorman — Kalikuk (detail) 2022 Cotton fabric and trim

OPPOSITE (RIGHT)

Shelly O’Gorman — Kalikuk 2022 Cotton fabric and trim © THE ARTIST

— Arnatsiaq Qvist was born and raised in Uummannaq, Kalaallit Nunaat. Qvist is currently writing her major paper for her Bachelor of Translation and Interpretation at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland. She has been fortunate to sew and create content for a fabric company, allowing her to feed her passion for creating through textiles and fabric.

NOTES

This Profile was made possible through support from RBC Emerging Artists. Colour

All quotes Shelly and Traci O’Gorman, interview with Arnatsiaq Qvist, August 2022.

Front

A HOME FOR INUIT ART AND ARTISTS Inspired by the landscapes and people of the Arctic, Qaumajuq celebrates the long history of Inuit artistic expression.

photo: Lindsay Reid

To learn more and find out how you can support Inuit art, visit wag.ca

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November 10, 2022 – March 12, 2023

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An exhibition funded in part by the Governement of Quebec | Kenojuak Ashevak (1927-2013), Guardians of Katajjaniq, 1992, lithography and stencil on paper, 17/50, 51.2 x 66 cm. Collection of Jean-Jacques Nattiez. © Reproduced with the permission of Dorset Fine Arts. Photo MMFA, Christine Guest

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Granny Palettes An Inuit Sense of Colour

— Introduction by Taqralik Partridge

Blue and white are often the banner colours at any conference or trade show about the North, but the Arctic is a place of many colours: the saturated fuchsia of fireweed, the deep rusts and mustard yellows of mossy bogs, the incredible turquoise of seawater around icebergs and the vivid orange of suvak—fish roe. The light alone changes so frequently that winter snow may appear orange, pink or green all in the same day. Even during the weeks when the sun does not rise, starlight, moonlight and twilight move across the land.

It is no wonder that Inuit artists use striking arrangements of colour. When you know the Arctic’s colours so well, you will speak of them as you see them. A sample of this “speaking with colour” can be seen in the creations of beadwork artists working today. Inuit and other Indigenous artists are working in a moment that sees a resurgence of pride in cultural heritage, expressed by wearing Indigenous-made things. The strongest example of this is earrings. The making, buying and wearing of Inuit-made earrings is a statement of cultural pride, support for fellow Inuit and agency in creative work. This kind of beadwork is in fact a part of today’s Inuit art movement. It is my contention that there is an Inuit aesthetic of colour—or perhaps many Inuit aesthetics of colour— that has arisen in Inuit creative work directly from our culture, which so highly values observation of everything around us, big and small. Understanding the impact of tone and hue, of light and dark, is one aspect of living in and relying on our environment that is communicated in the way we tell stories through works of art. One of these aesthetics is what many people refer to as ningiuqsiutik colours—old-woman or grandmother colours. It is commonly understood among Inuit who work with cloth, beads and embroidery that Inuit of older generations had a preference for certain types of colour combinations. For some people, these are limited to the colours of the Hudson’s Bay Company: red, navy, gold and forest green. For me, ningiuqsiutik also refers to palettes that are characteristically Inuk, including wild pairings of shades that seem almost impossible but somehow work. Think of the muddy green paired with carnation pink in work by Kenojuak Ashevak, CC, ONu, RCA (1927–2013) work; or the brightly contrasted colours of Ruth Qaulluaryuk’s tundra landscapes. These kinds of Inuit colour combinations are continued in the work of contemporary artists, sometimes intentionally. When Kuujjuaiqmiuk artist Niap was creating her wallhanging Piqutiapiit (2022) she modelled her colour choices after scarves her grandmother wore. Colour choices are sometimes influenced by availability, which is when Inuit artists and creators have really risen to the task. One of my favourite works is a 1970s amauti by Lizzie Ittinuar, which features primary red, blue and yellow with muted greens, purples and mismatched oranges. Another seamstress whose work always comes to mind is Emily Joanasie, whose kaleidoscopic sense of colour brings together brave and stunning colour combinations to make beautiful things. The artists included here are a small sampling of many working today whose creations continue in the same vein of a colour aesthetic that Inuit artists of past generations have so beautifully expressed. These pieces speak directly to Inuit ideas of beauty, cultural heritage and being attuned to the best ways for materials to be moulded into objects of meaning.

Levi Mequ “With Pride, the colour palettes and the designs already exist; it’s just about putting them into the real world. I feel like it’s important to me as a queer Inuk to integrate those two parts of my identity as a self-affirmation of being Indigenous and queer— and a maker.”

ABOVE

Levi Mequ — End of Summer (abstracted) 2021 11/0 glass beads 40 × 5 cm

Pansexual Pride Fringes 2022 11/0 glass beads 8 cm

When Levi Mequ first started beading, a skill learned from their Kalaaleq grandmother, they made a lot of “bead soup,” combining leftover beads from other projects in an effort to not waste materials. “Now I can pick more freely, which means I tend to get very colourful,” says Mequ, who goes by the online handles @issuaq and @beadpunk. “I work with a lot of Pride flag designs and rainbows, but also a lot of gradients.” Resourcefulness still guides some of Mequ’s colour choices, as in a new series of soup earrings with white fringe that pop like sprinkles on a birthday cake. “I don’t want these beads that I bought two years ago now to not be used,” they say. “I think putting them together creates something really fun, a bit like TV static.” Born in Ilulissat, Kalaallit Nunaat, Mequ grew up in Denmark and the United Kingdom, where they currently live. Their great-grandmother, now 90, still serves as inspiration for Mequ. While her traditional palette leaned more toward bright contrasting colours, Mequ is attracted to gradient shades in pinks, blues and a striking emerald that shimmers into lime. “I think it was me trying to see what I can do, outside of the things that I’ve seen other people do all my life.”

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

Elisapee Tatigat Avingaq

“I like the traditional nigja colour scheme or numbering [pattern sequence] because there’s really no way to go wrong when you’re making it your own,” so says Elisapee Tatigat Avingaq, an Iqaluit, NU–based jeweller. Avingaq is known for reinterpreting the siniksaq and beaded trim on amautiit into colourful earring designs. Initially beading as a child with her grandmother Martha Angugatiaq Ungalaaq and then with her mother, Susan Avingaq, she continues to learn new patterns and techniques via workshops and videos online. Although her designs typically reinterpret traditional garments and patterns passed down from her family, Avingaq’s colour palettes vary widely depending on what she’s creating which sometimes includes pieces that respond to current events like Pride or the Every Child Matters movement. The available metal findings, bias tape, leather, fur and end beads are also considerations that influence her bead selection. “To me, ningiuqsiutik means using vibrant colours that don’t necessarily have to match or go together,” she says. “My grandmother’s pieces were made with what she had. I also mix and match or just go with the beads I have available to me.”

“The beads and caribou end pieces follow the colours of the siniksaq and the pattern from one of my grandmother’s pieces.”

Colour

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Elisapee Tatigat Avingaq — Untitled 2022 Siniksaq (bias tape), glass beads and caribou teeth beads 17.8 × 1.9 cm © THE ARTIST

Granny Palettes

Kayla-Jazz AnnanackLauzon

Kayla-Jazz Annanack-Lauzon combines rich colours and symmetry to create beautifully patterned beaded earrings, which she sells under the handle @augustbeadwork. The artist from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC, started beading at nine years old, learning from a community member who taught her traditional beading techniques. “She taught me the peyote stitch and brick stitch and I played with the different styles,” says the artist. For Annanack-Lauzon, beading colours are influenced by different elements she sees in her day-to-day life, like the seasons: gold, burgundy and dark reds in fall and purple and coral for the warmer months. “I really have a crush on those colours,” says Annanack-Lauzon, emphasizing that what she likes and feels drawn to is important to her. But inspiration doesn’t always come from what is physically around her; sometimes colour inspirations will appear seemingly out of nowhere. “It might sound funny, but when I’m sleeping at night, sometimes I will see a colour combination or design I’ve never worked with before in my dream. When I wake up, I have to go and create it.”

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Kayla-Jazz Annanack-Lauzon — Granny Tartan 2020 Seal skin, leather and 10/0 glass beads 10 × 2.5 cm

“The colours of these earrings were inspired by an ulipakaak. My sister had made me one, and I really liked the colours of it. I wanted to use sealskin, so I decided to play with those colours.”

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

Based in Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet), NU, and operating under the handle @rollingstonebeads, artist and jeweller Sakkataaq Zawadski’s inspiration comes both from her peers—contemporary Instagram beaders like Jacqueline Lafrance (@beadworkbyjj), Malaya Kisa-Knickelbein (@ikirasaq) and Joanna Katrena Cooper (@nuutuittuq)—as well as historical beadwork. Taught to bead by her aunt, Krista Ulujuk Zawadski, Sakkataaq often tries to create a hoop or other detail on the tips of her fringe, echoing the design details in the beading on old amautiit. “Since my aunt offered to teach me [to make amautiit], I have been thinking about how I could get my work to look like that,” she says. Contrasting bands of colour are a signature practice for Zawadski, who frequently works around a specific accent colour to create visual interest. Favourite palettes with her signature earth tones include a tomato red paired with gold and white, and a pumpkin-orange and Prussian-blue combination that also incorporates white. “I know I’m an artist because when I look at something I’m going to work on I can see in my brain exactly how I want it to look,” she says. In addition to beads, her work typically incorporates natural elements that connect back to her Inuit roots, like antler—which she processes herself—fish-skin leather and naluaq (bleached sealskin).

Sakkataaq Zawadski

“Some of these earrings I’ve created because I had more of these colours, but I love to pair blue with orange. I feel like they work really well together, especially if you add white.” Colour

ABOVE

Sakkataaq Zawadski — Untitled 2021 Najuk antler, 11/0 glass seed beads, faceted Rondelle beads and fish leather backing © THE ARTIST

Granny Palettes

Jasmine Freeman

“I wish I could say why I choose triangles or these colour patterns, but I’d be creating an answer. Beading feels like I’m stitching lost pieces of myself back together. In this imperfect mosaic of beads, I can find a way to express myself.”

According to Jasmine Freeman, a writer and jeweller based in Abbotsford, BC, “beading was an accident.” What started as creating a gift for a friend has become a business that Freeman operates under the handle @nunaaluk, creating dozens of tasselled earrings each month. Her colour palettes almost always incorporate red—“I feel like it’s the most vibrant and outspoken colour,” she says—using every shade from candy to wine alongside black, gunmetal and a mossy lichen green. Her earrings feature geometric shapes like triangles and circles, often set against a gradient backdrop. “I like that ebb and flow from one colour to another . . . Gradients represent change,” she says. Although her palettes and approach to contrast often feature the visual hallmarks of ningiuqsiutik, Freeman’s work does not consciously pull from the patterns and colours of Elders. “The beading designs I have aren’t traditional Inuit designs,” says Freeman, who taught herself to bead in 2021 and typically picks colours by looking through the array in her bead collection. “Nothing has been passed down to me . . . [but] maybe there is something to a blood memory after all.”

ABOVE

Jasmine Freeman — Teresa 2.0 2022 11/0 Miyuki Delica beads 12.5 cm © THE ARTIST

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

“If I’m not working, I’m outside, and my main inspiration for colour is nature where I’m from here in Labrador.”

Kara Montague

Look closely at Kara Montague’s creations and you’ll find yourself gazing at a summer field or the scales of a familiar fish. Her colourscapes reflect the lands, waters and creatures of her home in North West River, NL. In one earring, a triangle of deep sea melts through a row of porcupine quills before spilling out in loops; hard, round labradorite reflects an iridescent galaxy of purple, like the scales of harbour cod. Montague, who sells her work through her personal Facebook page, draws her vibrant tones from animals pursued while hunting or fishing. “Red is a success colour,” she says, showing that “we caught this fish, or we darted our seal.” She balances bright colours with the copper tones of the soil, the golden grass and the deep water, which is “full of tannins; a very rich brown.” Montague’s first beading lessons came from a slipper-making class. She taught herself to make jewellery by inspecting the work of other beaders. Today, colour is Montague’s favourite part of beading, and each of her earrings is a loving portrait of her home.

Colour

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Kara Montague — Untitled 2020 11/0 Miyuki glass beads and porcupine quills © THE ARTIST

Granny Palettes

THE ARCTIC IS NOT WHITE — by asinnajaq

Vast. Empty. Barren. These words are often used to describe the Arctic, solidifying the misconception that the region is nothing more than untouched white snow for as far as the eye can see. No earthy vegetation, no vibrant flowers—no colour. In this Feature, a visual artist and filmmaker poetically challenges this fallacy, painting a prismatic picture of the seen and unseen colours of the Arctic.

ABOVE

Germaine Arnaktauyok — Lichen From My Birthplace 2008 Ink and coloured pencil 53.3 × 62.2 cm

asinnajaq — Untitled (Orange/pink snow) 2017 Digital photograph © THE ARTIST

COURTESY INUIT GALLERY OF VANCOUVER © THE ARTIST

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

One morning, in my hometown of Inukjuak, Nunavik, QC, I waited with my niece for her bus. A town with a snow damper across the ground has an extremely soft, quiet sound. The monochrome landscape that the slumbering sun leaves in its absence greeted us as we waited. The first sign of colour was on our cheeks, turning red with the cool air. As the sun rose I watched the landscape shift. The sun painted the snow with its light, turning the cool blue-and-white surface into warm oranges and pinks. I took the photo Untitled (Orange/pink snow) (2017) to capture the moment. As I think about that moment, what forms in my mind is that a single snowflake, which we often see as white, is full of chromatic potential. It can reflect back to us a spectrum of colour, sometimes colours that our eyes cannot see. We can’t perceive all the ways that life and colour inhabit the earth. There is a tension that exists between colour and the lack thereof. A tension weaved of many ideological twines; political, metaphorical and existential. In this piece of writing, the centre of this tension is the beloved homelands of Inuit, which are pulled in all directions by a number of misconceptions of being a frigid expanse with minimal colour and life. Despite this, Inuit Nunangat resists simplicity in the core of its very being, where many truths can and do exist at once.

Colour

We use our senses to interpret the world, to the best of our ability. Our experiences are shaped by our senses and our limit is as far as they can take us. When the things around us are simplified and brought back to the basics, something incredible happens. The ordinary has an opportunity to shine, demonstrating the beauty that is inherent to the flow of water, a group of rocks or a pile of snow. A simple breath is shaped so creatively and skillfully by throat singers. Puvirnituq, Nunavik, QC–based performers Akinisie Sivuarapik and Amaly Sallualuk create beautiful music—sonic sketches inspired by generations of Inuit in relation to the life happening in all the crevasses of nuna. The vitality of this art form is present in Niap’s piece ᑲᑕᔾᔭᐅᓯᕙᓪᓛᑦ Katajjausivallaat (The Cradled Rhythm) (2018). In this work, delicately rendered throat, cochlea and lung stone sculptures hang, with katajjaq accompanying them. Life experiences of the world are interpreted through the observant senses of the Inuk and transformed into throat songs. For example, the song “river” is animated, full of movement. The falling and bubbling of a river is conjured in the rhythmic sounds with the low rumbling consistent throughout. In the upper registers there are two distinct sonar shapes that are used to evoke the temperament of a river: bubbly round sounds like water stumbling over stones and sharp long

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Niap — ᑲᑕᔾᔭᐅᓯᕙᓪᓛᑦ Katajjausivallaat (The Cradled Rhythm) 2018 Brazilian steatite, wire and sound recordings Dimensions variable COLLECTION OF THE MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS COURTESY WAG-QAUMAJUQ PHOTO DAVID LIPNOWSKI © THE ARTIST

The Arctic Is Not White

notes that bring to mind a fast-flowing forward motion. I wonder what colours the song has— if not colour as in hue, then colour as in texture, personality. Another auditory element in the Arctic is the wind. Despite being commonly characterized as cold, there are many aspects to arctic wind. “Wind” is a playful throat song; the melody that is painted with the upper register brings the feeling of skipping to mind. The song captures the way that wind can morph into any shape it wants; it is a kind of breath, which, like water, is also life. Wind is featured in the drawing Fixing an Igloo in a Windstorm (1980), an outdoor scene by Josie Papialuk (1918–1996). At centre stage, a two-dome iglu stands proud with three figures around it. The scene is comical, as a cloud of smoke comes off the man working to fix the iglu. The entire drawing has a cheerful air to it, only augmented by an arc of colours above the iglu. I interpret this arc as an illustration of the wind, filled with long blocks of colour—yellow, green, red and pink. Papialuk’s wind brings a joyful presence to an element that is invisible. When looking for life in Inuit Nunangat, one doesn’t have to go farther than a rock. Life can grow on top of a rock in the form of lichen,

Inuit Art Quarterly

as seen in Germaine Arnaktauyok’s Lichen From My Birthplace (2008). Lichen in all kinds of shades—from greys and blacks to greens and oranges—are present all across the arctic landscape, creating beautiful textures and motifs. This truly remarkable being is one of the first kinds of life to form on land out of the water. The drawing Names Out of Rocks (2017) by Nicotye Samayualie illustrates some of the nuances of the landscapes that make up Inuit Nunangat in a simple and elegant way. The way one looks—the lens through which they perceive the world—is important with this piece. It takes literacy and connection to see the details that fill a landscape. To one person, a pile of rocks is just that, while to a family a pile of rocks can be a place where someone was born, a place where joyous playtimes were had or a place where hardships were experienced. Samayualie uses her trademark observational skill and patience to draw so many stones—all in varying shapes and sizes as well as colours, demonstrating beautifully that in one small corner of the land there are handfuls of elements joining together to make kaleidoscopic vignettes. How many of these small scenes as depicted in Names Out of Rocks must make up the scene of Arctic Landscape (Sky, Land, Water) (1999) by Janet Kigusiuq (1926–2005)?

ABOVE

Josie Papialuk — Fixing an Igloo in a Windstorm 1980 Printer Josie Sivuarapik Serigraph and stencil 50 × 65 cm COURTESY INUIT ART FOUNDATION © THE ARTIST

OPPOSITE

Nicotye Samayualie — Names Out of Rocks 2017 Coloured pencil 58.4 × 40.6 cm COURTESY MADRONA GALLERY © THE ARTIST

Winter 2022

Colour

The Arctic Is Not White

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

Moving to the macro scale, there is a monolithic quality to Kigusiuq’s piece in which blocky swaths of colour sit together in such a way as to suggest a landscape. The soft blush at the centre of the work indicates the sun is at a low position in the sky where an array of colours can be cast, turning the otherwise blank canvas of clouds into vibrant pinks, purples, oranges and reds. The light cast from the sun backlights a hill or mountain, illustrating that with the right timing it can become any colour that comes along to brush it with a hued kiss, if only for a brief moment. Across the bottom is a blue-green stripe that I see as clear water. Where pink and blue-green meet—an instance of exchange. Sky blends with the land, illustrating how water, too, is a blank canvas for light to colour. There is a tendency to understand geography in reductive and often polarizing ways—an entire region can be labelled simply cold or hot, lush or barren, vast or contained. This is often far from the truth. Our homelands are not stagnant; they are host to an ever-morphing environment. One moment inspiring the growth of a spectrum of green heathers and at another freezing the water into a sprawling expanse of ice. There is vitality in the windy air, in the water stumbling over rocks, life growing on the rocks

themselves. There are birds and animals that live within Inuit Nunangat, as well as beautiful berries like the vibrantly orange aqpiit that leave afterimages burnt on the back of the eyelid. The colours linger with you long after you’ve gone home and to bed, as Darcie Bernhardt’s painting Picking Akpiks (2021) reminds me. Our land does such a beautiful job of holding itself in all its complexities, rejoicing in its multitudes. When I grow up I want to hold myself and my complexities the way that our land does. — asinnajaq is from Inukjuak, Nunavik, and lives in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Her work includes filmmaking, writing and curating. She co-created Tillitarniit, a three-day festival celebrating Inuit art and artists. asinnajaq wrote and directed Three Thousand (2017) a short sci-fi documentary. She co-curated Isuma’s show in the Canadian pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale. She was longlisted for the 2020 Sobey Art Award and co-curated the inaugural exhibition INUA at WAG-Qaumajuq. asinnajaq’s works Nuna (2022) and Qulliq (2022) are currently on view at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.

OPPOSITE (TOP)

Janet Kigusiuq — Arctic Landscape (Sky, Land, Water) 1999 Paper collage 22.6 × 57.2 cm COURTESY FEHELEY FINE ARTS © THE ARTIST

OPPOSITE (BOTTOM)

Naluturuk Weetaluktuk — pujjunaq 1 2019 Digital print (photography with digital illustration) 25.4 × 39.1 cm © THE ARTIST

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Darcie Bernhardt — Picking Akpiks 2021 Oil 61 × 58.4 cm © THE ARTIST

Colour

The Arctic Is Not White

Fashioned Off the Land — by Jocelyn Piirainen

Translated by Jeela Palluq-Cloutier

ᓄᓇᐃᓐᓇᕐᒥ-ᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ — ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᔮᔅᓕᓐ ᐲᕋᐃᓂᓐ

ᐃᓄᒃᑑᓕᖅᑎᕆᔪᖅ ᔩᓚ ᕿᓕᖅᑎ

Fifty years ago, a group of talented women in Talurjuaq, NU, began experimenting with natural dyes extracted from arctic plants, establishing a unique colour palette and a thriving enterprise that forever changed the community.

Nuna. The land on which we walk and live our lives. It is rich with plant life, offering a variety of colours that are wholly unique to the Arctic. In the early 1970s, a group of arnait in Talurjuaq (Taloyoak), NU, led by textile artist Judy McGrath, travelled out on the nuna to gather lichens and arctic plants. They discovered through experimentation that they could create natural fabric dyes derived from the plants. The newly formed craft collective Arnaqarvik (“a place of women”) offered the group multiple creative outputs that not only included textiles and clothing but also resulted in the creation of a community photography darkroom. In October 2021, I was invited to travel with McGrath and a small group from the Pitquhirnikkut Ilihautiniq (Kitikmeot Heritage Society) from Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU, to Talurjuaq to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Arnaqarvik and to gather community stories and memories from this enriching era. My trip to Talurjuaq was brief, but I’m grateful to have spent time learning about the history of Arnaqarvik and to have seen up close the wonderful garments and art pieces created some 50 years ago. Travelling with us was Iqaluktuuttiaq photographer Cora DeVos, who brilliantly captured family members wearing some of the clothing made by those involved in Arnaqarvik, signifying the enduring legacy of this time. As the story goes, McGrath arrived in Talurjuaq only to have her idea scoffed at. She was told, “You will never obtain dyes from this environment!” Through some initial experimentation with certain plants and techniques, the naysayers were proven wrong and a crafting enterprise was soon established within the community. A close friend to McGrath was Arnaoyok Alookee, who became one of Arnaqarvik’s most prominent makers. “I could pick flowers for dyes all summer,” Alookee says, reminiscing about that time. “Even if I didn’t like the colours, I would like to pick flowers and plants because it’s the most fun we’ve ever had here. Even the kids are already asking when we are going out picking flowers because they like to play near the water and make fires for fixing tea.”

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Samples of finger-woven naturally dyed belts in seven different patterns created by an unidentified artist

The original Arnaqarvik collective showing off some of their designs, Talurjuaq, 1972. (Front) Theresa Qaujuaq, Alice Aleekee, Karla McGrath (Back) Naluniaq Peetooloo, Melanie Hadlarena, Mona Paloosee, Arnaoyok Alookee, Juliana Ameralik, Nilaulaaq Igluqark and Judy McGrath

ALL COURTESY JUDY MCGRATH COLLECTION PHOTO JACQUELYN HOLLAND ALL © THE ARTISTS

TOP

Eva Tirtaq with Mother Hubbard dresses, Talurjuaq, 1973 BOTTOM

White duffle side-closing parka with naturally dyed embroidery and waist tie, modelled by Arnaoyok Alookee, Talurjuaq, 1975

Inuit Art Quarterly

OPPOSITE (CENTRE)

Arnaluaq Totalik in her Mother Hubbard and sunburst, Talurjuaq, 1974 OPPOSITE (BOTTOM)

Arnaoyok Alookee modelling a duffle cape parka with naturally dyed embroidery, New York City, 1973

Winter 2022

50 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᐃᑦ ᓈᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑦ, ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᖃᐅᔨᓴᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᕈᖅᓯᐊᓂᑦ ᐃᔅᓰᔭᔪᓐᓇᕐᒪᖔᑕ, ᓴᖅᑮᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒥᐊᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᔪᓯᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᕕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᓯᔾᔩᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᒃ.

ᓄᓇ. ᓄᓇ ᐱᓱᒡᕕᒋᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᕐᕕᒋᔭᕗᑦ. ᐱᕈᖅᑐᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖅ, ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᓴᖃᐅᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᑐᐊᖅ ᐱᔭᒃᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. 1970 ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ, ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᐅᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᒧᑦ ᔫᑎ ᒪᒃᒍᕌᑦᒧᑦ, ᐊᐅᓪᓚᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᒧᑦ ᑲᑎᖅᓱᐃᔭᖅᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᖃᔭᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᓪᓗ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᖃᐅᔨᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐆᒃᑐᕋᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᓴᐃᔾᔪᑎᓕᐅᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓄᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᑦ. ᓄᑖᖅ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᒃ ("ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ") ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑮᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᙱᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᙱᑦᑐᕐᓗ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓕᐅᕐᕕᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂᑦᑕᐅᖅ. ᐅᑐᐱᕆ 2021−ᒥ, ᑐᙵᓱᒃᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖓ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖃᑎᖃᖁᔭᐅᓪᓗᖓ ᒪᒃᒍᕌᑦᒧᑦ ᐅᓄᙱᑦᑐᓂᒡᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᑦᖁᓯᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᐅᑎᓂᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ (ᕿᑎᕐᒥᐅᓂ ᐃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓴᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ) ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᒥᑦ (ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅ), ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᖅᑐᕐᓗᒍ 50−ᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖃᓕᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᒃ, ᑲᑎᖅᓱᐃᔪᒪᓪᓗᑕᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᐅᔪᓂᒡᓗ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ. ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᓃᓐᓂᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᕋ ᕿᓚᒻᒥᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᖁᔭᓕᔪᖓ ᐱᕕᖃᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᒪ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᖢᖓ ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᑕᑯᓪᓗᖓᓗ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᑦᑎᐊᕙᖕᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ 50 ᐅᑭᐅᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓂᙶᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖃᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑎᐊ ᐊᖃᔭᕐᓂᒃ ᖃ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔨ ᑰᕋ ᑎᕗᔅ, ᐃᓚᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᕙᒃᖢᓂ ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖃᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᑎᒃ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᖦᖢᒋᑦ. ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ, ᒪᒍᕌᑦ ᑎᑭᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᖓ ᐱᐅᒋᔭᐅᓗᐊᙱᖦᖢᓂ. ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ, “ᑕᒫᙵᑦ ᐃᔅᓰᔭᐃᔪᓐᓇᔾᔮᙱᑦᑐᑎᑦ!” ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕆᐊᙵᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᔅᓰᔭᐃᔾᔪᑎᓂᒡᓗ, ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᓱᕆᑦᑎᓚᐅᙱᑦᑐᑦ ᑕᑯᑎᑕᐅᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᔪᕐᓇᙱᓐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᕕᒃᓴᕐᒥᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᒪᒍᕌᑦ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓ ᐊᕐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᓗᑭ, ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᒻᒪᕆᐅᖃᑕᐅᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ. “ᐊᐅᔭᓕᒫᖅ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᕝᕗᖅᐸᓚᐅᖅᑐᖓ ᐃᔅᓰᔭᒐᒃᓴᓂᒃ,” ᐊᓗᑭ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᕗᖅ. “ᑕᖅᓴᖏᑦ ᐱᐅᒋᙱᑕᕋᓗᐊᒃᑲ ᐊᕝᕗᖅᐸᓚᐅᖅᑕᒃᑲ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᕐᓂᖅᐹᖑᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᑕᒫᓂ. ᓄᑕᖅᑲᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᐱᖅᓱᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᖓ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᕝᕗᕆᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᖔᑦᑕ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᐸᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᒪᐅᑉ ᖃᓂᒋᔮᓃᑦᑕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᐃᒐᕙᒡᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᑏᓕᐅᕐᓗᑎᒃ.” ᐊᒥᐊᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᑦ ᓂᕆᐅᓇᓚᐅᙱᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᙱᑦᑐᓂᒡᓗ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑎᔾᔪᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᑕᖅᓴᕆᙱᑦᑐᑦ ᑐᖑᔪᖅᑐᑦ

Colour

ᑭᖑᓂᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᐊᒡᒐᒧᑦ ᓄᕕᖅᓵᒃᓴᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒥᐊᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᔫᑎ ᒪᒍᕌᑦᒥᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᔮᑭᓕᓐ ᕼᐋᓚᓐ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ © ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔨᒥᑦ

ᐃᒡᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ (ᖄᖓᓂᑦ)

ᐄᕙ ᑎᑦᑕᖅ ᑲᓕᑯᓂᒃ ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑕᐅᔭᓕᐊᖏᑦ, 1973 ᐃᒡᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ (ᐊᑖᓃᑦᑐᖅ)

ᖃᐅᓪᓗᖅᑕᖅ ᖁᓕᑦᑕᐅᔭᖅ ᓄᓇᒥᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᕿᓗᐊᖃᖅᖢᓂᓗ, ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᓗᑭᒧᑦ, 1975

ᖄᖓᓂᑦ

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᖓᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ 1972-ᒥ, ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᔪᑦ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔭᒥᖕᓂᒃ: (ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓂ) ᑐᕇᓴ ᖃᐅᔾᔪᐊᖅ, ᐋᓕᔅ ᐊᓕᑭ, ᑳᓚ ᒪᒍᕌᑦ; (ᑐᓄᐊᓂ) ᓇᓗᓂᐊᖅ ᐲᑦᑐᓗ, ᒥᓚᓂ ᕼᐊᑦᓚᕆᓇ, ᒨᓇ ᐸᐅᓗᓯ, ᐊᕐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᓗᑭ, ᔪᓕᐊᓇ ᐊᒥᕋᓕᒃ, ᓂᓚᐅᓛᖅ ᐃᒡᓗᖃᖅ, ᔫᑎ ᒪᒍᕌᑦ

ᕿᑎᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᐊᕐᓇᓗᐊᖅ ᑑᑕᓕᒃ ᑲᓕᑯᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓄᐃᓪᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ, 1974 ᐊᑖᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᐊᕐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᓗᑭ ᐅᓕᑲᑖᒃᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅ-ᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ, ᓂᐅᔪᐊᒃ ᓯᑎ, 1973

Fashioned Off the Land

The colours produced were surprising and yielded a distinct colour palette. Pastel-blue hues and earthy browns— found, as an example, on a pair of mittens made by Kanayuk Aklak—were derived by boiling down a variety of lichen and flowers. Arctic poppies could produce a wonderful bright, nearly fluorescent yellow hue. “The most fun to pick is ‘popcorn’ lichen,” says Alookee. “It isn’t easy to pick, and it is hard to find them, but they’re the best to find. It makes purple dye, which is our favourite colour.” Inuit values were vital to all aspects of Arnaqarvik’s production. The 1977 book Dyes from Lichens and Plants: A Canadian Dyers Guide produced by McGrath outlined the specific plants and ways to naturally dye fibres. She wrote, “Use the plant life of the land but treat it with respect.” Only what was needed was taken.

Armed with their uluit and scrapers, arnait would head out on the nuna during the summer to collect what they could. The 24-hour sunlight during the summer months helped tremendously in gathering materials and possibly aided in retaining the colour intensity in some of the dyes. Winters were the time for dyeing and for the women to craft their work. Wool yarn was dyed and then added as embroidered details to new coats or mitts incorporating a variety of designs. This new and exciting endeavour helped grow the community’s economic development as artists could now produce a variety of items using these naturally dyed fabrics and wools. Garments were unique to the community, but were influenced by colours and other patterns from the 1970s era: for instance, a long, Mother Hubbard–style dress with a paisley pattern paired with a tanned vest, which was accented with an embroidered floral motif using the dyed thread.

LEFT

Naturally dyed yarn samples produced by Arnaqarvik ALL COURTESY JUDY MCGRATH COLLECTION PHOTO JACQUELYN HOLLAND

OPPOSITE (LEFT)

Arnaoyok Alookee modelling finger-woven hooded poncho, Talurjuaq, 1975 OPPOSITE (TOP RIGHT)

Detail of naturally dyed embroidery on cape coat, Talurjuaq, 1975 OPPOSITE (BOTTOM RIGHT)

Full-length green duffle coat, front view, New York City, 1973

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᑐᓪᓗ ᑲᔪᐃᑦ-ᓇᓂᔭᐅᔪᑦ, ᐆᒃᑑᑎᒋᓗᒍ ᑲᓇᔪᖅ ᐊᒃᖤᐅᑉ ᐳᐊᓗᓕᐊᖏᒃ- ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑑᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᖃᔭᕐᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᒡᓗ ᖃᓛᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐃᒍᑦᑕᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᑕᖅᓴᕆᒃᑐᒥᒃ, ᖃᐅᒪᖅᑰᔨᑲᓴᒃᑐᒥᒃ ᖁᖅᓱᖅᑐᓕᐅᖅᖢᑎᒃ. “ᖁᕕᐊᓇᕐᓂᖅᐸᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐹᑉᑯᐊᓐ ᐊᖅᑲᔭᐃᑦ ᐊᕝᕗᕆᐊᖏᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᓗᑭ. “ᐊᕝᕗᒐᕐᓂᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᓇᓂᔭᕐᓂᙱᖦᖢᑎᒃ, ᓇᓂᓪᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᕐᓂᖅᐸᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐃᑦᑎᐅᔭᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒥᐊᓐᓇᕆᓛᕆᓪᓗᒍᓗ.” ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᓂᒃ 1977-ᒥ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᔅᓯᑦ ᐊᖃᔭᓂᑦ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᓪᓗ: ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐃᔅᓯᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᒃᓴᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᒪᒍᕌᑦᒧᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᐃᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᕐᓗ ᐃᔅᓴᐃᔾᔪᑕᔪᓐᓇᕐᒪᖔᑕ. ᑎᑎᕋᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, “ᓄᓇᒥᑦ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ.” ᓄᓇᒥᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᑐᐊᑦ ᐊᕝᕗᖅᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ. ᐅᓗᒥᓄᑦ ᓴᓕᒎᑎᒥᓄᓪᓗ, ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐊᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᑦ ᐊᕝᕗᖅᐸᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᕝᕗᕈᓐᓇᖅᑕᒥᖕᓂᒃ. ᖃᐅᒪᐃᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᑐᕆᐊᖃᖅᑕᒥᖕᓂᒃ ᐊᒡᓛᓪᓗᖃᐃᑦ ᐊᒥᐊᑦᑎᐊᕆᒍᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᐅᒪᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᐅᑭᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᔅᓰᔭᐃᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᓪᓗ ᓴᓇᔭᒃᓴᓕᐅᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ. ᓄᕕᖅᓵᒃᓴᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒥᐊᓕᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᓴᓈᕆᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓲᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓕᓵᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᐱᕈᖅᐹᓪᓕᐅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᑭᒪᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓴᓇᔩᑦ ᓴᓇᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᒥᖅᓱᒐᒃᓴᕐᓂᒃ ᓄᕕᖅᓵᒃᓴᓂᒡᓗ. ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓕᐊᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᙶᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᓐᓄᕋᔾᔨᐅᕈᓰᑦ ᐆᒃᑑᑎᓪᓗ 1970-ᖏᓐᓂᙶᖅᖢᑎᒃ: ᐆᒃᑑᑎᒋᓗᒍ, ᑕᑭᔪᑦ ᑲᓕᑰᔮᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑕᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᐃᖃᙱᑦᑐᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓄᓪᓗ ᓄᕕᖅᓵᒃᓴᕐᓄᑦ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᑎᑭᓴᐃᔭᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ ᐊᑭᑐᔫᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᓴᓇᔨᓂᒃ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᓯᒪᔪᓕᐅᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᕐᒥᓄᓪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᓐᓇᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓚᒥᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ. ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ. ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᒥᐅᑕᕐᓄᑦ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᔭᐅᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ 1973-ᒥᓗ ᓂᐅᔪᐊᒃ ᓯᑎᒧᙵᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑦᑎᔭᖅᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᕐᒥᓂᒃ “ᑕᕐᓂᒥᙶᖅᑐᓂᒃ,” ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᒥᐊᓕᑲᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᕉ ᐋᓯᕙᒃ (1940-1974), ᖁᓕᑦᑕᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ. ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑎᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒋᔭᐅᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓂᒃ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᑭᔪᑦ ᐅᓕᑲᑖᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᓴᓕᖕᓂᒃ, ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑲᐅᑎᓄᑦ 1974-ᒥ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᒥ ᐊᓛᔅᑲᒥ, ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᔪᓂᒃ. ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᖓ ᐱᕈᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ, ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᑦ ᓴᓇᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᓂᒃᓴᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᑦᑎᐊᓕᖅᑐᓂᒃ "ᐊᒫᙳᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ"−ᐊᓈᓇᒋᔭᖅ−ᕿᑐᕐᖓᖏᓪᓗ ᕿᑐᕐᖓᐅᔭᑦ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᖅᓴᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ, ᐊᑦᑎᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐊᓈᓇᖓ "ᐊᒫᖅᑐᖅ" ᕿᑐᕐᖓᖏᑦ ᐊᒪᐅᑎᒥ−ᓱᓕ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ.

Colour

ᐃᒡᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᓄᓇᒥᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᕕᖅᓵᒃᓴᑦ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᔫᑎ ᒪᒍᕌᑦᒥᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᔮᑭᓕᓐ ᕼᐋᓚᓐ

ᖁᓛᓃᑦ (ᓴᐅᒥᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ)

ᐊᕐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᓗᑭ ᓄᕕᖅᓴᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ ᐅᓕᑲᑖᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓇᓴᓕᖕ ᒥᒃ, 1975 ᖁᓛᓃᑦᑐᖅ (ᖄᖓᓂᑦ ᑕᓕᖅᐱᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ)

ᐅᓕᑲᑖ ᖅ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ 1975-ᒥ ᖁᓛᓃᑦᑐᖅ (ᐊᑖᓂᑦ ᑕᓕᖅᐱᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ)

ᖁᓕᑦᑕᐅᔭᖅ ᑐᖑᔪᕈᔪᒃᑐᒥᒃ ᑕᖅᓴᓕᒃ, ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓂ ᑕᐅᑦᑐᐊ, ᓂᐅ ᔪᐊᒃ ᓯᑎ, 1973

Fashioned Off the Land

LEFT

White stroud vest by Eeteemunga using her style of fleece and yarn embroidery with natural dyes COURTESY JUDY MCGRATH COLLECTION PHOTO JACQUELYN HOLLAND ALL © THE ARTISTS

ABOVE

Eeteemunga’s stroud vest modelled by family member Louise Aqqaq PHOTO CORA DEVOS

OPPOSITE

Long pigskin vest with naturally dyed crocheted floral trim over a long floral print cotton-velvet dress, unidentified artist COURTESY JUDY MCGRATH COLLECTION PHOTO JACQUELYN HOLLAND

Inuit Art Quarterly

ᓴᐅᒥᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᖃᐅᓪᓗᖅᑕᖅ ᐊᐃᖃᙱᑦᑐᖅ ᐃᑎᒧᖓᑉ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᓂ ᓄᕕᖅ ᓵᒃᓴ ᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᔫᑎ ᒪᒍᕌᑦᒥᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᔮᑭᓕᓐ ᕼᐋᓚᓐ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ © ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔨᒥᑦ

ᖁᓛᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᐃᑎᒧᖓᐅᑉ ᐊᐃᖃᙱᑦᑐᓕᐊᖓ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓚᖓᓐᓄᑦ ᓗᐃᔅ ᐊᖅᑲᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᑯᐊᕋ ᑎᕗᔅ

ᐃᒡᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᑰᑯᓯᐅᑉ ᐊᒥᖓ ᐊᐃᖃᙱᑦᑐᓕᐊᕆᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓂᒃᓯᒃᑕᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᑐᖑᑦᑐᕆᒃᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑕᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᔫᑎ ᒪᒍᕌᑦᒥᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᔮᑭᓕᓐ ᕼᐋᓚᓐ

Winter 2022

Colour

Fashioned Off the Land

As ordering materials into communities was costly, Arnaqarvik offered creators an opportunity to produce their own sets of colours and then to make profits for themselves and their families. It also provided entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. Eventually the collective would grow their Southern audiences to include a 1973 visit to New York City where they showcased their wares during Spirits, an exhibition of sculptures at the American Indian Arts Centre by Talurjuaq artist Karoo Ashevak (1940–1974), who wore a parka adorned with Arnaqarvik’s natural dyes. Arnaqarvik also created a unique set of garments, including long duffle cape coats with naturally dyed embroidery, for athletes and dignitaries at the 1974 Arctic Winter Games in Anchorage, Alaska, where the collective members participated in a fashion show. Talurjuaq’s craft shop flourished during this time, with the artists creating designs for the now-famous “packing dolls”—mother-and-child dolls made from coloured duffle, aso named because the mother “packs” their child in the amauti—that are still being produced today. At the same time the arnait were experimenting with dyes, a related project popped up in the community. In 1972, American-Canadian photographer Pamela Harris visited McGrath in Talurjuaq and documented the arnait as they travelled out onto the land to collect their plants. Harris, based in Toronto, ON, at the time,

Inuit Art Quarterly

noted that there were those within the community who owned cameras but needed to wait two to three months to see their final photos developed due to mailing them down south to have them processed. She set her mind to creating a darkroom and to teaching the community the steps to develop their own photos. After some challenges, Harris acquired the necessary supplies to set up a space within the craft workshop. Although the darkroom was open to the public, the majority of participants ended up being the women who were crafting in the shop, with their photos focusing on the naturally dyed garments that the arnait were creating. Arnaqarvik created a deeper sense of community that can be found within both the garments and photographs from this time period. From the tundra to the runway, 50 years later the project continues to highlight the legacy of intergenerational teaching and knowledge passed down from grandmothers and mothers to the children of Arnaqarvik. — Jocelyn Piirainen is an urban Inuk, originally from Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU, and is currently working as the Associate Curator of Inuit Art at WAG-Qaumajuq in Winnipeg, MB. When not working as a curator, her artistic practice involves experimenting with Polaroids and Super 8 film, as well as honing her crochet and beading skills.

ABOVE (LEFT)

A portfolio cover made from strips of finger weaving with naturally dyed yarn and pigskin suede ALL COURTESY JUDY MCGRATH COLLECTION PHOTO JAQUELYN HOLLAND

ABOVE (TOP RIGHT)

Karoo Ashevak in a parka with naturally dyed embroidery made by the project for the trip to New York City, 1973 ABOVE (BOTTOM RIGHT)

Naturally dyed embroidery on the back of a cape made for John McGrath by an unidentified Arnaqarvik member, New York City, 1972 OPPOSITE

Items made by Eeteemunga with naturally dyed yarn, fleece, fur and fish fins

PHOTO JACQUELYN HOLLAND

Winter 2022

ᑕᐃᑲᓂᑦᑕᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒐᒃᓴᓂᒃ, ᐊᒃᑐᐊᓂᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑐᖃᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥ. 1972-ᒥ, ᒥᐊᓕᒐᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ-ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔨ ᐹᒥᓚ ᕼᐃᐅᕆᔅ ᐳᓛᕆᐊᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᒪᒍᕌᑦᒧᑦ ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᐊᕐᓇᓪᓗᐃᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᒧᑦ ᑲᑎᖅᓱᐃᔭᖅᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᕼᐃᐅᕆᔅ, ᑐᕌᓐᑐᒥᐅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᐅᒥ, ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ, ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᔭᕆᐊᖃᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᖅᑭᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᐱᖓᓱᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ (ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᓄᓇᖓᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ). ᐃᓱᒪᒥᓂᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᑖᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᒡᓗᕈᓯᓕᐅᕈᒪᓪᓗᓂ, ᐃᓕᓴᐃᓗᓂᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ. ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᖃᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᕼᐊᕆᔅ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᖁᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᓂᑖᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᕕᒃᓴᒥᖕᓂᒃ. ᑖᖅᑐᒃᑯᕕᒃ ᒪᑐᐃᖓᓚᐅᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓄᑦ, ᐊᒥᓲᓂᖅᓴᐃᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᓕᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᕝᕕᖕᒥ, ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓕᐅᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕋᔾᔨᐅᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᓴᓇᕙᑦᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᑎᓂᖅᓴᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᑦ ᓇᓂᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᐊᓂᒡᓗ. ᓄᓇᒥᑦ ᒥᕝᕕᖕᒧᑦ, ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ 50 ᐊᓂᒍᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖅ ᓱᓕ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᖏᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᑭᖑᕚᕇᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᕙᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᓈᓇᑦᑎᐊᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓈᓇᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ.

— ᔮᔅᓕᓐ ᐱᕆᐊᓐ ᐃᓅᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᐸᐅᔭᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᒃᓴᔭᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᒫᓐᓇᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᐃᓂᐸᐃᒃ−ᖃᐅᒪᔪᕐᒥ ᐅᐃᓂᐸᐃᒃ, ᒫᓂᑑᐸᒥ. ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᙱᓕᕌᖓᒥ, ᓴᓇᙳᐊᕈᓯᖓ ᐃᓚᖃᕐᒪᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᙳᑲᐅᑎᒋᓲᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓲᐳ 8−ᓂᒃ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᒃᓴᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᒃᓯᒃᑕᖅᐸᒃᖢᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᐸᖓᔾᔨᕆᕙᒃᖢᓂ.

Colour

ᐃᒡᓗᐊᓂᑦ (ᓴᐅᒥᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ)

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐃᑦ ᖄᖓᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᒡᒐᒧᑦ ᓄᕕᖅᓵᒃᓴᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑰᑰᓯᓪᓗ ᐊᒥᖓᓐᓂᑦ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᔫᑎ ᒪᒍᕌᑦᒥᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᔮᑭᓕᓐ ᕼᐋᓚᓐ

ᐃᒡᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ (ᖄᖓᓂᑦ ᑕᓕᖅᐱᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ)

ᑲᕉ ᐋᓯᕙᒃ ᖁᓕᑦᑕᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᓂᐅᔪᐊᒃ ᓯᑎᓕᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᑎᒪᔪᖅ, 1973 ᐃᒡᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ (ᐊᑖᓂᑦ ᑕᓕᖅᐱᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ)

ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᓕᑲᑦᑖᖅ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓂᑯ ᔮᓐ ᒪᒃᒍᕌᑦᒧᑦ, ᓂᐅ ᔪᐊᒃ ᓯᑎ, 1972 ᐊᑖᓃᑦᑐᖅ

ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᑎᒧᖓᒧᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᔅᓴᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᕕᖅᓵᒃᓴᓂᒃ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓂᒃ, ᒥᖅᑯᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᓪᓗ ᐊᖒᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᔮᑭᓕᓐ ᕼᐋᓚᓐ

Fashioned Off the Land

U A T UTT Q Bringing together images from Katherine Takpannie’s Amiat series (2015–ongoing) with new poetry by Taqralik Partridge, Tauttuq—meaning “the colour of” or “the appearance of” in the Nunavik dialect—aims to capture and hold that which is mutable and changing through photography, colour and language.

— by Katherine Takpannie and Taqralik Partridge

the smell of red is auk tinguk ukiatsaaq

the taste of green is maliksuagaq kuanniq qungulik the texture of purple is aqiaruq paunnaq qauppaluttuq the sound of turquoise is sikutuqait ingiuliit natiruvaattuq

the temperature of pink is kutsuq uqsuq uluangitjaq

if you are a legend amongst your people they will bear your emblem in their pockets on their tongues in their hearts if you are a legend amongst your people you are never lost in the crowd never forgotten in the landscape if you are a legend amongst your people in their eyes you are always dressed in brilliant colours if you are low to the ground they uplift you your light is their beacon even when you cannot see it they see it they see you they tell you you are here we are with you

in culture class there was a big bag of beads of all shades, so we had to dig to find our colours to this day i swear if i have a pile of gold or vermilion or any other colour just sitting there, i feel an embarassment of riches

electric blue dress and a perm at the christmas games wild polyester florals

red-rimmed black rubber boots neon green leg-warmers in salluit red and white soccer jerseys in rankin yellow aviators monster energy drink all over your parka red mustang suit red jerry can red sewage light red big mouth lollipop rot your teeth out now decked out in silver green grass by the river in summer green canoe what else can you do but wait for the tide to come up clear blue-grey and the fish were thrashing in the water so it looked like rapids white fish, orange fleshed salmon river salmon hot pink pixee lure the sky was on fire in the evening winter white fox fur trimmed purple sealskin mitts

purple, purple, more purple yellow rope, blue bungee black and blue skidoo brown spit on the snow in the playground blue stripe on the 211 take you downtown in montreal ottawa red and white oc transpo make sure you pay though green and gold edmonton we don’t say that word anymore deep crimson seal quaq on the cardboard mattak mattak mattak you would have saved some but it was all thawed

— Katherine Takpannie is an urban Inuk whose family is originally from Apex Hill, NU. However she was born in Montreal, QC. Takpannie is a self-taught, emerging photographer who wants to reveal the complexities and nuances of urban Inuit life. Having lived most of her life in Ottawa, ON, her work speaks to the Ottawa that she sees. Her visual language expands out from lifestyle portraiture to include lush landscapes and gritty urban scenes. Taqralik Partridge is a writer, artist and curator originally from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC, and now based in Ottawa, ON. Partridge’s artistic work focuses on and celebrates life in the North and in southern urban centres, as well as the lived experiences of Inuit. In 2020 her collection of poetry curved against the hull of a peterhead was released by Publication Studio Guelph. A former Editor-at-Large for the Inuit Art Quarterly and former Director of the Nordic Lab at SAW, she is the Associate Curator of Indigenous Art – Inuit Art Focus at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

Tungujuangajuq #6 2017 Digital photograph Tungujuqtuq #2 2020 Digital photograph Ittiujaq #5 2017 Digital photograph

CURATORIAL NOTES

To Remain Connected Turchin Center for the Visual Arts DECEMBER 3, 2021–MAY 7, 2022 BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA

Family lineages, community relationships and collaborative artmaking are at the heart of To Remain Connected, an exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, highlighting permanent collection works by seven Inuit artists from Ulukhaktok, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, and Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), NU, as well as the work of Inupiaq artist Jenny Irene Miller, originally from Sitŋasuaq (Nome), Alaska. To Remain Connected was collaboratively curated by Miller, artist and educator Raven Moffett and Turchin Center guest curator Shauna Caldwell, who initiated the show. The curators received assistance from recent anthropology graduate Hannah Bennett. Miller’s own multidisciplinary works ground the show’s interweaving of Inuit voices from across the circumpolar North. In this conversation, the curatorial team speaks to the Inuit Art Quarterly about finding their own meanings in the art and working together as a collective.

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

CURATORIAL NOTES

OPPOSITE

Elsie and Helen Klengenberg — Sound of Life 1995 Stencil 45.5 × 68.5 cm ALL COURTESY TURCHIN CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS ALL © THE ARTISTS

LEFT

Installation view of To Remain Connected within the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Boone, North Carolina, June 2022

INUIT ART QUARTERLY: As you were looking through the Turchin’s permanent collection, did connections organically appear?

together from a distance [Shauna in Boone and myself in Albuquerque] with the sequencing.

JENNY IRENE MILLER: Coming up with ideas for the show’s name helped guide our curatorial process. The word “connected” stemmed from this idea that essentially we as Inuit and Inuit artists are connected across space and time. This not only applies to the Inuit artists in the show—Mabel Nigiyok, Elsie Klengenberg, Helen Klengenberg, Lipa Pitsiulak, Annie Pitsiulak, Thomasie Alikatuktuk, Josephee Kakee and myself—who are from different regions in the circumpolar North; it also acknowledges our connections to our own communities. Home is very important to me as an artist, and as a curatorial team we set out to include themes of joy, humour and place. We wanted this exhibition to feature Inuit life. As an Inupiaq I’ve seen many of our stories told by non-native folks that often focus on the hardships and the continued impacts of colonization and never get into the love, joy, humour—the subtle everyday realities of our lives. So this exhibition was a celebration of relationships, connections and voices.

IAQ: Can you talk a little about the process of selecting works from the collection? SHAUNA CALDWELL: There was a lot of back and forth. We had several lists of work to choose from and so we focused on the two communities, Ulukhaktok and Pangnirtung, that we have the most information on and that we had a lot of research backing the intergenerational connections of the artists in those communities. Working virtually, we had several online sessions where we mocked up pieces in Photoshop, moving things around on the gallery walls. It was cool to see how we could use different tools that we wouldn’t necessarily have used if we had been able to do studio visits. I was so grateful that Jenny and Raven were part of that process and provided feedback. Mother-daughter team Elsie and Helen Klengenberg’s Sound of Life (1995) was a critical piece. It ended up in the centre of the gallery next to Jenny’s piece, Untitled (2020), with the hands in the air. The echoing of that joyousness in those two pieces was really important.

RAVEN MOFFETT: I think a big one for me is Jenny’s use of personal archives in their work, not only in images but also handwriting and mark making as well; different traditions of holding story in conversation with another archive.

HANNAH BENNETT: Since I came later in the process, the connections all seemed very natural to me. The Klengenbergs’ work was important because you can see the art of storytelling and the importance of family and then also in Jenny’s work. It helped reiterate how the past and present and future all weave together. The process was also introspective; it made me think about my own family.

IAQ: Jenny, what was the process of selecting your own works to include in the show? MILLER: I wanted to include works that feature family, works that feature my mom and my auntie, my partner and place. I was thinking about the strong women in my life. I’m a part of this work through self-portraiture through photographs, a video piece and a sound piece. Images of my partner, who is non-native, were also included. Shauna did an amazing job narrowing down and curating what pieces of mine would be included and we worked

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MOFFETT: I have a preference for images that expand beyond a single frame and work on me emotionally. Elsie and Helen’s work is so vivacious and vibrant largely because of its roots in intergenerational collaboration, not only in its creation but in its final form. To me, their work features multiple modes of expression, such as bodily expression through dance and song

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CURATORIAL NOTES

RIGHT

Josephee Kakee — Dance 1974 Printer Solomon Karpik Stonecut 53.3 × 78.7 cm OPPOSITE

Jenny Irene Miller — Tea with Aaka (remembering her) 2021 Digital photograph

Close to me addresses misconceptions and constructed images of what I am as an individual who is both Inupiaq and White. It’s composed of multiple tracks of my breathing during different parts of the day, originally presented in a two-channel sound installation to make my presence known. It challenges the listener to construct an image of who is behind the breaths, and to perhaps encourage them to be aware of their own breath and presence in the space.

as well as multiple voices, including the voice of more-than-human kin in conversation. IAQ: Were there other pieces that you knew had to be included? CALDWELL: There’s a beautiful piece by Josephee Kakee called Dance (1974) with figures in a circle. The piece was situated next to Jenny’s Untitled (Husky) (2018), with the dog in the landscape. Those two pieces really balanced one another and deepened the meaning of the work and visualized a lot of the conversations we were having about community.

CALDWELL: As you walked in, the speakers were on the sides of the door, so it automatically enveloped you in Jenny’s breath, which emphasized the intentionality of Jenny’s decision making. I think that moment was occasionally a little jarring for people. As soon as they shifted their head to the left, they met Jenny’s gaze in Untitled (September self-portrait) (2021), in a really intimate and vulnerable position. But there’s still a lot of power in that image as well.

MILLER: I’m grateful that my work was shown in this exhibition alongside the other Inuit artists. Being able to look at their artwork and feel at home. It felt like our pieces spoke to each other. Even though we live in different places across the circumpolar North, we are connected through cultural traditions, ways of life and language—speaking different dialects. Due to the impact of colonization, I, like many other Inuit, cannot speak my language and am only able to understand certain words. I was thinking about these incredible printmakers and how they used different tools to record their lives and how that became an archive for future Inuit generations to look back on. Hopefully my work will become an archive—the clothing, the style, the geography—to learn from.

MILLER: It’s ultimately about presence. Over the course of my art practice I’ve been thinking about how to make portraits that don’t always need to be the stereotypical portraits of people we’ve been trained in visual culture to understand as a portrait. For example, my piece, previously titled “Tea with Aaka,” which I’m now calling Tea with Aaka (remembering her) (2021). It’s a photograph I consider to be about a conversation with my late Aaka and a portrait of her. Her tea cup and saucer take the place of her physical being. The viewer doesn’t know whose hand is pulling the string of the tea bag. There’s also this intimate detail that the tea cup and saucer were mailed to me by a family friend from my late great-grandparents’ cabin that is going to be, any year now, engulfed by the sea because of climate change. With that act of mailing what belonged to her to me, I understood it as “This was your Aaka’s, it’s yours now to treasure and take care of.” Essentially, I was thinking about that care and that continuation of her presence in my life. I want her to continue to be part of my work. So I was challenging myself on how to make more photographs of her without her being in the physical realm we’re in. In this way, I remain connected and continue to share her story.

IAQ: The show featured Jenny’s audio work, Close to me: a self-portrait (2013). What role did that piece serve? MILLER: This is an older piece I made while I was living in Seattle, Washington. I was thinking about the comfort of home and being close to family, thinking about breathing and breath and that connection to others and how hearing another’s breath can be an intimate act or even feel uncomfortable at times. I was also thinking about this term acousmatic, which was termed by sound artist Pierre Schaeffer. They describe it as “a sound that one hears without seeing the causes behind it.”

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

Jenny Irene Miller (she/they) is an Inupiaq artist who works primarily with photography. She is originally from Nome, Alaska, and currently resides in Anchorage, Alaska. Raven Moffett (they/she) is a visual storyteller, artist, researcher and educator working on Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui land in Tucson, Arizona. Moffett holds a BA in Art and Visual Culture from Appalachian State University, an MFA and Museum Studies certificate from University of Arizona, and is currently an American Indian Studies PhD candidate at University of Arizona. Shauna Caldwell (she/her) is a White Appalachian artist, educator and scholar rooted in her hometown of Boone, North Carolina. Caldwell received BFAs in both Studio Art and Art Education, an MA in Appalachian Studies and an advanced graduate certificate in Non-profit Administration at Appalachian State University.

Pitseolak Qimirik, Senda and Animals Transformation, 2022

PAUOJOUNGIE SAGGIAK Adorned Walruses 61 x 74 cm

NEW DRAWINGS

Hannah Bennett (she/her) is a White North Carolinian researcher and collaborator grounded in arts and visual culture, environmental justice and community engagement. Bennett received her BA in Sociocultural Anthropology with a minor in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University.

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Tune in to Up Here The perfect companion to Inuit Art Quarterly. Up Here is the award-winning magazine of Canada’s North. Wide ranging and credible, Up Here has informed and entertained readers since 1984. Keep in touch with today’s Nunavut, Nunavik, Northwest Territories and Yukon. Arts and Culture, Travel, History, Lifestyles, Nature and more. Six insightful issues for just 24.95*per year. (50% off newsstand prices)

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A very special thank you to the inaugural members of the Inuit Art Foundation Tunisiniq Nunarjjuaq Piuniqsauqumut circle: Judith DesBrisay Eleanor R. Erikson Warren Howard

Kathleen Lippa Richard Sourkes Scott B. White

Thank you for choosing to support the future of Inuit art! Translated from Inuktitut to English, Tunisiniq Nunarjjuaq Piuniqsauqumut means “to leave the world a better place.” By including the Inuit Art Foundation in their wills, these committed supporters are endowing a legacy and ensuring Inuit artists always have the best possible opportunities to create and showcase stunning works and connect with new audiences! We are thrilled to honour those who have made planned gifts with the introduction of the Inuit Art Foundation Tunisiniq Nunarjjuaq Piuniqsauqumut—a legacy-giving circle that recognizes and celebrates bequest donors.

“I have included the Inuit Art Foundation in my will because I see merit in supporting its work. It is quite gratifying to leave a lasting and meaningful legacy that can support Inuit artists for generations to come.” SCOTT B. WHITE MEMBER OF THE TUNISINIQ NUNARJJUAQ PIUNIQSAUQUMUT CIRCLE

It’s easy to create a legacy with any size of gift. You can choose to remain anonymous with your future donation or you can tell us about your plans to leave a legacy gift and join Tunisiniq Nunarjjuaq Piuniqsauqumut. As a member of the Tunisiniq Nunarjjuaq Piuniqsauqumut, you too will be celebrated for your caring and commitment to Inuit artists and art. We look forward to hearing your stories of connection to Inuit art! If you’ve already included the IAF in your will or would like to learn how, please contact us at (647) 498-7717 ext 107. For more information visit InuitArtFoundation.org/LegacyGiving or scan this QR code!

TRIBUTE

BELOW

Serapio Ittusardjuat

by Blandina Attaarjuaq Makkik

Serapio was born in Akunniq, NU (between Sanirajak and Iglulik, NU) on February 1, 1945. As a child he started making uqsiit and sannirujak (dog team toggles) and often would carve toys out of ivory and caribou antler for his younger siblings, having learned to carve from his parents. Like many in his generation, making hunting implements was a natural part of his upbringing, which was centred on traditional Inuk ways—the way of inunnguqsainiq, teaching the whole human, and of aangaijaq, in essence the teaching of truly understanding one’s surroundings using all the senses. This changed abruptly when he was forced to attend the Chesterfield Inlet Catholic residence, Turquetil Hall, for qallunaat schooling. Many students left residential schools greatly traumatized and broken in spirit. Former students struggle most of their lives to come to terms with the atrocities visited upon them, and Serapio

Serapio Ittusardjuat—an accomplished hunter, sculptor and educator as well as a supportive husband, father and provider— passed away at his home in Toronto, ON, in June 2021. I knew and loved Serapio; he was my father’s sister’s eldest son. Although Serapio spent most of his adult life working as a mechanic, creating art came naturally later in his life. He greatly influenced myself, amongst many others, to explore our shared Iglulik culture, traditions and language. Having lived through the federal government’s attempt to assimilate Inuit, his belief in the power of maintaining a strong foundation in culture, language and heritage had a lasting impact for which I and many others are forever grateful. But I also recall many Scrabble games when he would break into song as he uproariously and thoroughly enjoyed beating us who supposedly knew more English than he—memories that make me smile to this day! Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

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Ulu 2006 ALL ARTWORKS COURTESY MONICA ITTUSARDJUAT

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Harpoon Heads Pendants 2003 14kt gold 4 × 1.7 cm

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Inurayait 2003 Linocut and chine collé

Harpoon Heads Pendants (sketches) 2003

was no exception. According to Monica Ittusardjuat, his wife of over 50 years and a highly respected educator in her own right, it was the challenge and process of creating with his hands that gave Serapio a chance to contemplate and to face his demons. These times of quiet reflection allowed him to restore his spirit at his own pace. Serapio’s foray into jewellery making began in 1995 when he took the Nunavut Arctic College Jewellery and Metalwork diploma program in Iqaluit, NU. He later attended the college’s Drawing and Printmaking program in 2001 and the Goldsmithing program in 2003. Serapio drew inspiration from ancient myths, legends and songs for his metalwork, while his ivory and bone pieces would often depict everyday hunting implements or animal figurines. Not long before he passed he generously gifted me with an exquisite ivory pendant, a beautifully crafted miniature harpoon head inlaid with baleen, which I shall treasure always. Humble and generous, I remember Serapio once wrote, “My work is not the best, but it is good.” He was never boastful, but quietly confident in his abilities. As an educator, he cared deeply about sharing his culture and took great pride in passing on ajaaja songs to the younger generation. He was keenly aware that if traditional songs and poetry weren’t sung or recited they would be forgotten forever. His survival account How I Survived: Four Nights on the Ice, a graphic novel chronicling his ordeal, was published by Inhabit Media in 2020 and became a finalist for the Ontario Library Association’s 2022 Silver Birch Express Award. I can truthfully say I would not be who I am today without Serapio’s generosity. He gave me much needed support at a crucial and critical point in my life when I had lost all hope. How privileged I am to have known this great inummarik, a true Inuk/ human. I am not alone in my praise of Serapio. When he gave of himself, we, the recipients of his largesse, never forgot his many kindnesses. It takes discipline, courage and perseverance to master any skill—especially of an artistic nature—but to combine those skills with being an educator, a superb hunter and author, all the while also being a supportive husband, father and provider, takes a very special person indeed. Qujannamiik Serapio; as I write, my words are so woefully inadequate. You are so deeply missed by those of us whose lives you touched. I am honoured to have walked the land with you. — Blandina Attaarjuaq Makkik, originally from Igloolik, NU, is the Igloo Tag Trademark Coordinator for the Inuit Art Foundation. For more than a decade she managed the Inuit and Native Gallery of the Guild Shop in Toronto. She has also worked extensively in the field of film and television.

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Johnny Pootoogook

www.feheleyfinearts.com gallery@feheleyfinearts.com 65 George Street, Toronto 416 323 1373

Winter 2023

LIGHTS - MULLIUJAG, 2021, coloured pencil, 29 7/8 x 44 in.

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

SAIMAIYU AKESUK “ P E C U L I A R B I R D ”, 2 3 ” X 3 0 ”, I N K

6 0 6 V I E W S T R E E T V I C T O R I A , B . C . 2 5 0 . 3 8 0 . 4 6 6 0 W W W . M A D R O N A G A L L E R Y. C O M

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DID YOU KNOW THAT LA GUILDE HAS 262 LINEAR FEET OF ARCHIVES DATING BACK TO 1874?

1356 Sherbrooke St. W. Montreal (QC) H3G 1J1 laguilde.com La Guilde is a non-profit museum with an art gallery specializing in contemporary Indigenous art and Fine Crafts.

Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

ᑕᕐᕿᑕᒫᑦ tarqitamaat.ca

artist of the month of november Lucasi Kiatainaq Lucasi Kiatainaq, Transcendence, digital photography, 2019

Wholesaling Inuit art since 1967

Lucassie Echalook

lvy wvl

“This man got an otter and is joyful. Otters are rarely caught because they dwell in rivers and are hard to hunt."

bN Xusgg[i xoxog bfx wMixl W/sh fuhAmb xJNh riExu

19950 Clark Graham Ave. Baie-D’Urfé, QC H9X 3R8

514-457-9371 www.artnunavik.ca

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NEWS

Updates and highlights from the world of Inuit art and culture

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Still from Ann Holmgren Aurebekk’s film Ovias (2022)

Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake coin designed by Jason Sikoak, JD Hawk and Leticia Spence.

Cover of Inuit TakugatsaliuKatiget | On Inuit Cinema by Mark David Turner.

COURTESY ROYAL CANADIAN MINT

COURTESY MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY PRESS

ÁRRAN 360° and ARCTIC XR Premiere at Venice Biennale Sámi Pavilion

Films by Tanya Tagaq and Tiffany Ayalik Hit the Screen

During the world premiere of two unprecedented film programs, visitors to the Sámi Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale were immersed in original films designed for 360-degree screens by some of the world’s leading circumpolar Indigenous filmmakers. ÁRRAN 360° is a curated selection of films created by directors from Sápmi, and ARCTIC XR features creations by digital media artists from Canada. Both projects use cutting-edge 360-degree screens to display the films in a format that mirrors the circular nature of Indigenous storytelling. Árran is a Northern Sámi word that describes the hearth of a lávvu, a traditional Sámi tent, which has historically been the place where Sámi storytelling occurs. Like the larger-than-life 65-square-metre qaggiq built in Iqaluit, NU, in March 2021, the film lávvu at the Sámi Pavilion is the size of a building—much larger than a traditional lávvu. The size and shape of the lávvu allows the ÁRRAN 360° and ARCTIC XR projects to meld cutting-edge technology with traditional methods of Indigenous storytelling to present modern stories about circumpolar cultures. ÁRRAN 360° was presented by the International Sámi Film Institute in collaboration with the Norwegian Film Institute and the Office for Contemporary Art Norway, and ARCTIC XR was curated by Dr. Heather Iglioliorte, Board president of the IAF, and Dr. Julie Nagam, who was the Curatorial Theme and Artistic Director for Nuit Blanche this year. The film programs came to Canada in October to be shown at Nuit Blanche in Toronto, ON.

Tanya Tagaq, CM, and Tiffany Ayalik celebrated the release of their documentaries in the latter part of this year, adding to the growing list of films written and directed by Inuit. Ever Deadly (2022), a feature-length documentary film highlighting avant-garde throat singer Tagaq, had its world premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival from September 8–18. The film is produced by the National Film Board of Canada and is written and directed by Tagaq herself in collaboration with award-winning filmmaker Chelsea McMullan. Weaving live concert footage with sequences filmed on location in Nunavut and animation by celebrated graphic artist Shuvinai Ashoona, RCA, Ever Deadly explores stories of pain and triumph through the expressions of Tagaq. Okpik: Little Village in the Arctic (2022) is directed by filmmaker and musician Tiffany Ayalik along with long-time producing partner Caroline Cox. It follows Inuvialuk/ Gwich’in hunter-gatherer Kylik Kisoun Taylor as he builds an independent, self-sustaining village near Inuvik, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, using traditional sustenance techniques like sod-house building. The film premiered on August 5 in Inuvialuktun on CBC Gem and August 6 in English on CBC Manitoba.

Inuit Art Adorns New Truth and Reconciliation Coin September 30 marked the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and in honour of the occasion the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation collaborated with the Royal Canadian Mint and three Indigenous artists to release a new Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake medallion. Nunatsiavummiuk artist Jason Sikoak worked with Red River Métis artist JD Hawk and Treaty One Territory Cree artist Leticia Spence to create the design on the coin. Sikoak, who previously designed artwork for the Mint in 2021, is a multimedia artist based in Montreal whose art often explores Indigenous politics and Inuit spirituality. Sikoak was honoured and humbled by the opportunity to participate in this project. In conversation, they noted that each artist initially created their work individually and then collaborated on how to tie their art together on the medallion. Sikoak’s portion of the design depicts the northern lights, an ulu, Inuit dressed in traditional clothing and Inuit tattoo designs to showcase common elements that span Inuit cultures. All proceeds from the sale of the Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake coin will support the work of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s Na-mi-quai-ni-mak Community Support Fund. The keepsake is available for purchase on the Mint website.

Want More Inuit Art News? Read the IAQ’s interview with Mark David Turner on his new book Inuit TakugatsaliuKatiget | On Inuit Cinema

Get all the news, faster at: inuitartfoundation.org/news Inuit Art Quarterly

Winter 2022

Specializing in Inuit Art since 1963

Quvianaqtuk Pudlat Etching & Chine Collé

Studio PM

83 Sparks St. Mall • Ottawa, ON

studiopmmontreal@gmail.com

snowgoose.ca | 613-232-2213 | info@snowgoose.ca

“Ice Spirit Drumdancing” 2015 Alabaster, Caribou antler, Baleen Manasie Akpaliapik (1955 -) Ikpiarjuk, Nunavut & Ontario with drum: 17.0” x 15.0” x 7.5”

It’s OWL That! Gallery & Studio

Visit us online: · Expert Appraisal · Online Gallery · Consignment · Purchase Iridescent Raven by Ningeokuluk Teevee, Cape Dorset 2018

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LAST LOOK

Ningiukulu Teevee Storyteller Ningiukulu Teevee — Storyteller 2018 Printer Niveaksie Quvianaqtuliaq Lithograph 56.5 × 76 cm REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION DORSET FINE ARTS © THE ARTIST

Ningiukulu Teevee has spilled an epic onto the page with her vivid lithograph Storyteller (2018), which was aptly named both for Teevee’s own reputation as a storyteller in her community and for the many little details—the multiplicity of tales—Teevee has hidden within this owl’s face. Minimal blocks of colour make up the majority of the piece: cerulean background, white crest, luminous yellow eyes and a stark black hole on the lower right that serves as negative space. The left, however, contains a series of radiating multicoloured lines that illuminate feathers, leaves, flowers and several silhouetted faces. Closer inspection of the chromatic rays reveals a guitar, a bee, a rainbow fish, a house and the top view of an iglu, a woman with long violet hair—Sedna?—a little inukuluk and Inuktitut syllabics woven amongst the white linework. Teevee combines a tangy and bright mix of colours that speak to the archetypal rainbow and yet she subverts expectations by placing a world inside them, mirroring the vastness of the natural spectrum of colour with Inuit life experiences. It’s a shocking juxtaposition to perceptions of the North as stark snowy tundra. Through Teevee’s eyes we see the North as it is—bursting with vibrant patterns, language and iconography and alive with colour. JESSICA MACDONALD

Associate Editor

Vanessa Dion Fletcher

A North American Art Collection amplifying diverse voices and creating conversations. Image Credit: Vanessa Dion Fletcher (Lenape, Eelūnaapèewii Lahkèewiitt), Five Dresses, 2021, Porcupine Quills on Drywall, 24 x 36”, TD Bank Corporate Art Collection. Learn more at td.com/art.

Visit the TD Gallery of Indigenous Art at 79 Wellington St. West in Toronto. ® The TD logo and other TD trademarks are the property of the Toronto-Domion Bank or its subsidiaries.