Shuvinai Ashoona’s long-awaited solo exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario has opened in Toronto. Titled Shuvinai Ashoona – Beyond the Visible, a nod to the artist’s ability to translate the fantastical subjects otherwise invisible, the show presents a vibrant selection of primarily recent drawings. The exhibition is a result of the artist’s win of the 2018 Gershon Iskowitz Prize, … Read More
Interview with Niap on her Show “Silavut”
Niap’s second solo show at Feheley Fine Arts, “Silavut,” presents work celebrating light; an expansive light, one which is unique to the North and at times can last months on end. In parallel, the work also speaks to a lightness in spirit, one so nourishing after a time of darkness and isolation. To mark the closing of Niap’s sold-out show, … Read More
Themes in Inuit Art: The Bear
From sitting to walking to dancing to fighting, the polar bear is one of the most depicted subjects in Inuit sculpture. Perhaps the arctic’s most iconic animal, the solitary bear is also the most powerful. With no natural predators, the bear remains at the top of the Arctic food chain and is both feared and respected by neighbouring animals and … Read More
Michael Massie’s 100th Teapot
When you think of Michael Massie, you think of teapots. The Newfoundland-based artist has been creating them for nearly thirty years and in 2021 he made his 100th. Wittily called Identi-tea, a pun typical of Massie’s comical artwork titles, teapot #100 is an elegant silver masterpiece embellished with an elongated bloodwood handle and cap. The teapot’s body is etched with … Read More
Darcie Bernhardt – Akisuktuaq
Feheley Fine Arts was pleased to present Darcie Bernhardt’s first solo exhibition at the gallery in June, 2021. The exhibition’s title Akisuktuaq is an Inuvialuktun word which, when translated to English, means “striking a shiny object with its rays.” Evocative of sparkle, light, and shine, Bernhardt’s paintings convey Akisuktuaq—from the medium they are primed with, to their play on highly … Read More
New Works by Annie Taipana
Feheley Fine Arts is pleased to present a selection of eight textile works by artist Annie Taipana. Born in Hanningajuq (Garry Lake) in 1931, Taipana moved to Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake) in 1972 where the first Inuit sewing shop had been recently established. Qamani’tuaq in the 1970s was a hub for Inuit women working in the art of wall-hangings: artistic powerhouses … Read More
Darcie Bernhardt: Akisuktuaq
(Digitized catalogue below) I am from Tuktuyaaqtuuq in the Northwest Territories, where the Arctic Ocean and streams were my playground and coated with snow. This has allowed me to create work about both the harsh conditions and the gentle flowers of the land. I find inspiration in the voices of elders, the flowers of the boreal environment and the roots … Read More
Inuit Art Quarterly nominated for 7 National Magazine Awards
Congratulations to the Inuit Art Quarterly on being nominated for seven 2021 National Magazine Awards! We could not be more proud of how far the IAQ has come. Since 2013, the Inuit Art Foundation has ramped up its visibility and outreach after nearly closing down. Now, the Quarterly has become a staple periodical in the Inuit art world. It is … Read More
Introducing: Darcie Bernhardt
We are thrilled to introduce the luminous paintings of artist Darcie Bernhardt, which will be shown at the gallery for the very first time in her solo exhibition, Darcie Bernhardt: Akisuktuaq, opening June 5, 2021. Raised in Tuktuyaaqtuuq, Northwest Territories, Bernhardt is an Inuvialuk/Gwich’in artist currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A recent graduate of the Nova Scotia School of … Read More
Johnny Pootoogook: Views from Home
(Digitized catalogue below) Drawing can serve as a vehicle for memory. Some artists use drawing to recollect moments from the past, while others utilize the medium to investigate feelings or even re-imagine events. The use of memory as a source of reference, rather than the commonly used photograph or preliminary sketch, leaves space for the artist’s interpretation—leeway for creativity and … Read More
In Memoriam: Jean Blodgett (1945–2020)
We are saddened to learn of the recent passing of seminal Inuit art historian, Jean Blodgett. Raised in Washington state, Blodgett moved to British Columbia in the early 1970s to pursue her graduate studies at UBC where she focused on Inuit sculpture. After graduation, Blodgett remained in Canada and began to lay the groundwork for the study of Inuit art … Read More
Wild Things: Prints by Artist Papiara Tukiki
Papiara Tukiki (b. 1942) is an elder artist currently living in Kinngait (Cape Dorset). She was born at a camp in Nuwatta, located on the Foxe Peninsula on the southern end of Baffin Island. Tukiki lived in camps until 1962 when she moved into the settlement community at Kinngait. Shortly before the move, she began to experiment with drawing while … Read More