(Digitized catalogue below) 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 … Read More
Kigusiuq and her Contemporaries
(Digitized catalogue below) 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 … Read More
William Noah: My Stories
William Noah is no stranger to art. Over thirty years of printmaking, painting, sculpting, and graphic design distinguish him as an established artist. Baker Lake residents also know him for his vast contributions to the community. As part of his comprehensive experience, Noah has worked on boards of councils, served as mayor of Baker Lake, and directed the Inuit Broadcasting … Read More
Shuvinai Ashoona: Time Interrupted
(Digitized catalogue below) Shuvinai Ashoona is not an emerging artist; her detailed ink drawings of dense landscapes have intrigued viewers for many years. In earlier works, domestic items and interwoven topographical elements lived side by side in a relationship of rich detail made possible through ink stippling and cross-hatching. Today, Shuvinai continues to work with an intense attention to detail, … Read More
de Visser’s Vision: Sculpture from the John de Visser Collection
(Digitized catalogue below) Extensive travel is integral to the role of a photojournalist, and throughout his brilliant career, John de Visser has enjoyed unique opportunities in his quest to document people and places. Raised with an appreciation of the visual arts, de Visser became a photographer in the early 1950s after arriving in Toronto from his native Holland. In 1958, … Read More
Windows on Kinngait: The Drawings of Napachie Pootoogook and Annie Pootoogook
(Digitized catalogue below) Napachie Pootoogook This exhibition presents a very special body of work by the Cape Dorset graphic artist, Napachie Pootoogook (1938 — 2002). Late in her life, and motivated in part by her failing health, Napachie decided to tell the stories of her life and times: her local history, her personal experience and the stories of other people … Read More
Precious Nature: Repulse Bay Sculpture
The small hamlet of Repulse Bay holds the distinction of being the only Inuit community located directly along the Arctic Circle. Named “Repulse Bay’ in the 1740s by Captain Christopher Middleton during his fruitless quest for the North West Passage, the area is also called “Naujat” by the Inuit, a reference to nearby cliffs where seagulls nest each year. Remote … Read More
Gloria Inugaq Putumiraqtuq: Ancient Rhythms
Gloria Inugaq Putumiraqtuq is a young woman carrying on tan ancient tradition through modern materials. Inuit textile arts evolved out of the historical need for carefully fashioned skin clothing and camp equipment sewn by women. Since the 1960s the women of Baker Lake have translated these ancient skills into works of art, applying decorative felt forms and surface stitching to … Read More
Kenojuak and Onward
(Digitized catalogue below) Generations Series The very existence of our recurring ‘Generations’ series suggests a profound trend toward the artistic within Inuit families. Questions are tantalizing: Does artistic talent run in the blood, or is it culturally or socially determined? Why are there so many artists in a relatively small community such as Cape Dorset? Are there connecting threads between … Read More
Sanaasimasiatok
(Digitized catalogue below) Cape Dorset is a centre of artistic excellence, internationally renowned for finely finished sculpture and confident graphics. It is not the sheer quantity of art produced in Dorset, but the quality which is legendary. Hold your breath while handling a fragile loon by Sheokjuk Oqutaq or a spirit composition by Tukiki Manomie. Admire the Audubon-like realism of … Read More
Pitseolak Ashoona: The Pictures
The occasion of the book launch for the revised edition of Pitseolak: Pictures Out of My Life provides the perfect opportunity to revisit the oeuvre of one of the most talented, and beloved, of contemporary Inuit artists. Born in 1907/8, Pitseolak Ashoona’s experience of life was similar to many of those of her generation. Her earlier lifestyle in the traditional … Read More
Catching the Eye: Sculpture by Isaci Etidloie
My Father told me when I started carving that I should make things very unique – make things that catch the eye. I’m going to try to keep on doing traditional things in my carving because some kids are forgetting about the traditions and the carvings would probably help them. Our traditions are still important; we need to keep our … Read More