On November 8th, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) unveiled a new Inuit art exhibit curated by Inuk artist and curator asinnajaq. This captivating display of the Museum’s Inuit art collection offers a thoughtful exploration of life’s rhythms in Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homelands) across the circumpolar North. CBC News reports on this innovative exhibition, which embraces a storytelling approach … Read More
Qinnirajaattuq/Ripples: Making Waves in Inuit Art Symposium
Wednesday, November 6 to Friday November 8, 2024 Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is an initiative that supports Inuit and Inuvialuit in their pursuit of higher education and professional development. Last week, they hosted a symposium on Inuit art titled “Qinnirajaattuq/Ripples: Making Waves in Inuit Art”. The event coincided with the opening of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts‘ new … Read More
The Ulu
The ulu, known in Inuktitut as ᐅᓗ (ulu), translates to “woman’s knife.” This crescent-shaped blade is traditionally used by Inuit women and is passed down through several generations. In Inuit culture, it is considered an honour to receive an ulu from an older female relative. [2] The ulu serves various purposes, including cleaning skins, filleting fish, cutting meat for communal … Read More
Adam Alorut’s Final Narwhal Tusk Sculpture
In collaboration with the celebrated sculptor Adam Alorut (1980-2020), artist Ruben Komangapik completed TUSK, a 77.5-inch-tall narwhal tusk, showcasing an extraordinary collaboration by two distinguished carvers. After beginning to carve the tusk, Alorut tragically passed away in 2020. The tusk eventually came into Komangapik’s possession, who completed it in honour of his late friend, Alorut. Renowned for his elaborate narwhal … Read More
The Kayak
In the freezing temperatures of the Northern Arctic, Inuit hunters invented the nimble qajaq, or kayak, to enhance their hunting skills in sealing, whaling and coastline expeditions on the icy waters. Known as the ‘man’s boat’ or the ‘hunter’s boat’ in various Inuktitut dialects, the kayak was hand-crafted from locally available materials. While materials vary depending on their region, in … Read More
Inuit Art Educational Tools
Feheley Fine Arts is delighted to present a handy guide of resources for Inuit art, aiding in identification and self-education. Navigating the world of Inuit art can be daunting, but with these curated tools, you’ll find a solid starting point. Artist Identification Katilvik is a website which allows for artist identification through either syllabic symbols (artist’s name in Inuktitut) or … Read More
David Hannan: Crossing Territories
David Hannan‘s latest solo exhibition, “Crossing Territories”, investigates the connection between humanity and the natural world using a blend of wood, paint, sculpture, collage, and textiles. David Hannan (b. 1971) is a Métis multi-media artist based in Toronto, Ontario. Examining the dynamic relationship between humans and animals sharing the same space, his graphic collage work and paintings engage with themes … Read More
Shuvinai Ashoona & John Noestheden Collaboration
In the winter of 2008, Shuvinai Ashoona was invited by curator Wayne Baerwaldt to Calgary’s Illingworth Kerr Gallery, at the Alberta College of Art and Design. Through Feheley Fine Arts, she had been commissioned to collaborate with Canadian crystal artist John Noestheden on an original drawing for a banner spanning an entire city block. This collaboration stemmed from Baerwaldt’s vision … Read More
The Private Series: Widding Collection
On display in the Ithaca home of Mary and Fred Widding lay a remarkable array of Inuit sculptures. Now, transitioning from the intimate settings of their home to Feheley Fine Arts, this exceptional collection not only showcases a diverse spectrum of styles, materials, and narratives, but also embodies a profound reverence for carvings from the North. Mary Widding notes that … Read More
Inuit community name changes
How we refer to placenames in Inuit Nunangat (homelands of the Inuit) has changed over the course of time. You might wonder why some community names seem to have recently changed and why. And who decided on their non-Inuit names in the first place? Europeans in Inuit Nunangat In the late-1500s, English seaman Martin Frobisher sailed west across the … Read More
Shuvinai Ashoona Receives Governor General’s Award
We are thrilled to share the news of Shuvinai Ashoona being honoured with the Governor General’s Awards in Visual Arts, a testament to her remarkable impact on Canadian art. Shuvinai’s unique talent for blending vivid storytelling with elements of fantasy, realism, and nostalgia have rightfully earned her this esteemed recognition, the highest honour for visual and media arts in Canada. … Read More
Contemporary Land: The Birth of Contemporary Drawing in the North
Contemporary Drawing in Kinngait, 1995–2015 Drawing holds a long history at the Kinngait Studios. For many artists it served as their introduction to artmaking, as graphite pencil and paper were among the first media available to in the late 1950s and early 1960s. While drawings were purchased by the co-op, they were seldom marketed for sale and prints dominated the … Read More