Inuit - guided visit for art school

Inuit artists create their work using the materials available to them: soapstone, ivory, hammers and chisels, coloured pencils, felt-tip pens and… Japanese paper. 

The exhibition Inuit: Art from the Canadian Far North brings together works by internationally renowned Inuit printmakers such as Kenojuak Ashevak, Lucy Qinnuayuak, Pitseolak Ashoona and Kananginak Pootoogook. Together, these works offer a unique window onto the lives and imaginations of people living in the Arctic. 

Most of the prints come from the Kinngait artists’ cooperative, which has produced a carefully selected collection of prints for the international art market every year since the 1950s. Printmaking is therefore also an economic activity. After the Canadian government forced Inuit communities to settle in permanent villages, predominantly female artists became, by necessity, the main breadwinners of their communities. 

Art also plays an important role in keeping memories alive. Inuit artists share stories and memories from their childhood through their work, passing them on to younger generations and helping to keep cultural traditions alive. 

During the tour, the guide will tell the story of the cooperative and explore the inspiration, materials and techniques behind Inuit printmaking. The tour also introduces students to Inuit sculpture, an ancient artistic tradition and visual language that remains very much alive today. Striking volumes and almost geometric figures reveal the extraordinary mastery Inuit artists have developed in working with soapstone and ivory, as well as more recently with materials such as metal and marble. 

But what about that Japanese paper? Your guide will be delighted to tell you!