Aayuraa means snow-goggles in Inuktitut, the Inuit language. As the purpose of snow goggles is to protect one’s vision, it is a fitting name for an establishment that cares for and fosters the vision of artists. Inuit art is often associated with fine, small, intricately fashioned work. From the detailed etched scenes on walrus ivory, to precious amulets and miniature … Read More
Itee Pootoogook: An Arctic Lens
Although Itee Pootoogook is an emerging graphic artist, his career began many years ago. He was a carver in the 1970s and in the 1980s sold his first drawing to Terry Ryan, then manager of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative. It has not been until the last five years that Itee has focused his work as a graphic artist – … Read More
North Meets South
Feheley Fine Arts is pleased to present an exhibition that focuses on the innovative ways that contemporary Inuit artists are approaching their work. This group of sculptures and graphics depicts both cutting-edge themes in Inuit art and original artistic techniques. Increasingly, many Inuit artists are living in urban centres. Living in the ‘south’ has opened the door to changes in … Read More
William Noah Solo Show
As a mature and established artist, William Noah provides perspective and life experience through his work. At first glance the Baker Lake artist’s drawings and paintings depict vast landscapes and camp settlements in the Arctic. Peel back the textured layers and pertinent and political messages are revealed. “I draw my true life,” Noah says of his work. The beautiful rolling … Read More
Samonie Toonoo: Scream
Edvard Munch’s well-known—and much written about— painting, The Scream, was created in 1893, and is widely considered to represent the universal anxiety of modern man. It depicts a screaming figure with a skull-like face, who appears to be in the throes of an unknown emotional crisis. This image is now one of the most familiar in art history, having been … Read More
First Solo Show: Tim Pitsiulak
Tim Pitsiulak proudly identifies himself as a hunter and an artist. This same combination has informed works of art by generations of Inuit artists. However, as all aspects of life in the Arctic, the face of both of these activities has changed greatly in recent times. Modern boats and motors, rifles, and skidoos are a part of today’s hunting life. … Read More
Arrived: Drawings by Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok and Mary Ayaq Anowtalik
For Arviat artists, Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok and Mary Ayaq Anowtalik, many decades of sculpting culminated in a reputation of excellence in carving. Several years ago, both artists undertook a new medium – drawing. They have now emerged as important graphic artists. The works of art in this exhibition build on the collection of experimental drawings that first introduced the artists’ … Read More
Breaking Ground: New Oil Stick Drawings from Cape Dorset
This exhibition “breaks ground” in a number of ways. First, the medium of oil stick is still a very recent innovation for Inuit artists. It was introduced in Cape Dorset in the late 1990s by Montreal-based artist Ludmilla (Mewa) Armata, who coaxed some remarkable work from senior artists such as Mayureak Ashoona and Sheojuk Etidlooie. The materials remained in the … Read More
The Ene Schoeler Collection of Inuit Art
A great collection requires the passion, dedication and focus of a determined collector. Some collections of Inuit art are built with a specific community or artist in mind, while others are motivated by subject matter, media or period. All collections, however, take time, perseverance and attention to detail to become comprehensive and significant representations of an art form. Ene Schoeler … Read More
Earth & Sky: Shuvinai Ashoona and John Noestheden
In February 2008, Canadian artists Shuvinai Ashoona and John Noestheden were invited by Wayne Baerwaldt to Calgary’s Illingworth Kerr Gallery, at the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD). Shuvinai and John were brought together in order to collaborate on a drawing measuring 28x488cm that would be reproduced to scale on a 6x43m horizontal outdoor banner. The banner, which comprises … Read More
3 Cousins: Annie Pootoogook, Shuvinai Ashoona, Siassie Kenneally
Three artists share their view of the world through original drawings of land, food, dwellings, family, friends and celebrations. They find inspiration in their own experiences and environments, be it the North and their home community of Cape Dorset on Baffin Island, or travelling abroad and documenting the adventure. Annie Pootoogook, Shuvinai Ashoona, and Siassie Kenneally come from a family … Read More
Kigusiuq and her Contemporaries
A Distinguished artist and a notable colourist, Janet Kigusiuq is renonwned for her graphic compositions, her tactile interpretations of Arctic landscape, and narratives that share her experience of living in the North. She often depicted the land around her as well as the stories she remembered hearing throughout her childhood. The late Kigusiuq established an important place for herself in … Read More