Jutai Toonoo was born in Kinngait, NU in 1959, the same year that the inaugural Cape Dorset Print Collection was released. He grew up surrounded by artists and naturally fell into art making himself. He started with sculpture and gradually experimented with other media like print, drawing, pastel, and painting. Across all his media, Toonoo rarely conformed to traditional assumptions … Read More
The Lithograph
What do Shuvinai Ashoona’s Tentacles (2018), Ningiukulu Teevee’s Stepping Out (2020), and Ooloosie Saila’s Festive Owl (2021), have in common? They are all lithographs—a largely popular, yet little understood method of printmaking. The art of lithography made a late arrival to the Kinngait Studios as printers began experiments in the early 1970s. In 1975, lithographs made their debut in the … Read More
Post-Fair: Art Toronto 2021
It was so good to be back at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the 2021 iteration of Art Toronto. Half the size but double the fun, this year’s Feheley Fine Arts booth featured new drawings by Kinngait artists Shuvinai Ashoona, Saimaiyu Akesuk, Ooloosie Saila, Ningiukulu Teevee, and Qavavau Manumie. Paintings on canvas were also featured. Two were by Tuktoyaktuk-born … Read More
Shuvinai Ashoona: Kinngait Visions
(Digitized catalogue below) After a nationwide touring solo exhibition, a feature in the Berlin Biennial, winning the Gershon Iskowitz Prize, and a subsequent retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ontario; Feheley Fine Arts is pleased to present an exhibition of stellar new drawings by Shuvinai Ashoona. Aptly titled Kinngait Visions, the exhibition brings together twenty-two recent works by the artist … Read More
Shuvinai Ashoona at the AGO
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
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
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
Themes in Inuit Art: Transformation
Since the 1950s, the theme of the transformation has featured in sculptures, prints, and drawings by Inuit artists hailing from many communities across the Canadian arctic. Depictions of human figures intertwined with animals have permeated the art form in various styles and media, captivating audiences for decades. While many admire the creativity and spirit that emanates from such pieces, the … Read More
Life by the River: William Noah (1943–2020)
(Digitized catalogue below) Feheley Fine Arts is honoured to present Life by the River: William Noah (1943–2020), an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake) artist, William Noah. This exhibition marks the first since Noah’s passing in July 2020. During the gallery’s previous solo for the artist held in 2010, Noah and his wife and daughter, Martha and … Read More
Artist of the ‘90s: Sheojuk Etidlooie
“I started out drawing by accident at the Church Christmas games. That’s when I learned that I could draw, and ever since then I have gained confidence. I have to think about a drawing for a while before I start to make it. My drawings are from me, they are my own but it is not easy to make them. … Read More
The Wonders of Baleen
This year’s annual Cape Dorset print collection included a number of showstopping prints featuring recognizable arctic subject matter. From the whimsical kamik-wearing owl in Ningiukulu Teevee’s dynamic lithograph Stepping Out, to Pauojoungie Saggiak’s open-mouthed char in First Catch, to Nicotye Samayualie’s luminous nocturne Silaqtiq (Bright Evening), the animals and landscapes of the Canadian arctic dominated the graphics of 2020. Perhaps … Read More
Post-Fair: Art Toronto 2020
This year, Art Toronto looked a little bit different. Like many large-scale events of 2020, Toronto’s annual and much-anticipated art fair went virtual for the first time ever. While adapting to a new digital platform was daunting at first, we were encouraged to think outside of the box in order to bring the best of our “booth” to fairgoers. In … Read More