To behold these recent works on paper by Janet Kigusiuq is to be seduced by colour and delighted by form. Kigusiuq was born in 1926 to Jessie Oonark, the first and brightest star in the Baker Lake firmament. Oonark taught her eldest daughter resilience and self-reliance during the difficult years on the Barren Lands through the 1940s and 1950s, and … Read More
Toonoo’s Legacy
Sometimes one moment can become the axis around which a whole universe spins. The world remembers 1969 as the year of Woodstock’s quest for harmony and the first moon walk that became a celebration of man’s technological advancements. Meanwhile, in the Arctic the I were making their own advances, navigating the treacherous journey from traditional camps to modern settlement life. … Read More
The Discrete Collector
The Art of Collecting Over the past decade, Feheley Fine Arts has been proud to feature several exhibitions of Inuit art from significant private collections, including the Klamer Family, Jack Butler and Sheila Butler, and Terry Ryan. However — for a multitude of personal reasons — sometimes collectors prefer to remain anonymous. While we work diligently to ensure correct provenance … Read More
Art by Women
Foreword At the dawn of the twenty-first century, some people might question the necessity of another exhibition devoted to the artistic expression of Inuit women. Surely, they would say, the point has been well made in over twenty group exhibitions (and even more solo exhibitions) of Inuit women’s art since the mid-1970s in galleries across North America. And yet, reviewing … Read More
Material Culture: The Art of Mayureak Ashoona
“These are all about history – what has been going on. They are memories; the whole truth about all of life for those who forget about their history; to make sure that the young people know what really happened; to work both sides, from the past to the future; to communicate with people in the South because I can’t speak … Read More
Material Matters: The Media of Inuit Art
Introduction Artists worldwide grapple with the materials they use to translate ideas into physical form and the Inuit are no exception. Some begin with the flat surface of a page on which to build up an image from inspired marks, while others work to free their subject from an existing substance such as stone. The materials chosen are ultimately means … Read More
Transformed: The Last Works of Sheojuk Etidlooie
“Aanaan [My mother], your wisdom, strength and guidance have and always will guide us through life. We all miss you. Your loving son,” – Pauloosie Suvega, Iqaluit, 1999 “We didn’t realize how well-known my mother was in the south. She rarely spoke about her art. We thought she just wanted to be able to provide for her family. Her family … Read More
Sheojuk Etidlooie: Original Drawings
Our perception of an artist is that technique can be learned but talent is latent, lying dormant until stirred by opportunity. Sheojuk’s opportunity came late in life. She did not begin to draw until she was in her mid-60’s, as the result of a chance occurrence. Barely six months later, the first of her distinctive images appeared on the cover … Read More