New works by Ningiukulu Teevee, Lyle Wilson commissioned for Inuit Gallery’s 40th anniversary
Formerly in Gastown, the art gallery now calls North Vancouver’s Shipyards District home, neighbouring the Polygon and North Van Arts
K°a'alaqs (Blue Jays), 2019, by Haisla artist Lyle Wilson; Intaglio, (paper size 16" x 13.5"; image size 9.75" x 7.75"), edition of 50. Image via the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver.
Continuum: The Inuit Gallery at 40 runs to August 23 at the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver at 120 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver.
THE SHIPYARDS DISTRICT in North Vancouver near Lonsdale Quay and the SeaBus Terminal is becoming a burgeoning artistic hub.
Anchored by the Polygon Gallery and home to North Van Arts (a contemporary, interactive gallery that started in 2001), the area now has a new arts-focused resident: the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver recently moved in after spending its first 39 years in Gastown.
In marking its 40th anniversary, the Inuit Gallery is hosting Continuum, a group exhibition of Inuit and Northwest Coast First Nation artists.
The gallery commissioned two limited-edition prints to celebrate the milestone: Ravin' Raven by Cape Dorset artist Ningiukulu Teevee and Qwaw-ey-lauchs (Blue Jays) by Haisla artist Lyle Wilson.
Ravin' Raven by Cape Dorset artist Ningiukulu Teevee; (serigraph, 22” x 30”, edition of 40). Image via the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver.
Ravin’ Raven is based on Teevee’s original drawing of the same name.
“In recent years Ningiukulu Teevee has risen to be one of the finest artists involved in the Cape Dorset graphics studio,” Zavediuk notes. “Her works, both prints and drawings, often deal with Inuit legends and reveal her sly sense of humour and dynamic design sensibility. This exuberant and vibrant print refers to the traditional story when Owl and Raven exchanged gifts. Owl was given a beautiful white dress with black flecks, and in exchange the delighted Raven received a new pair of boots to protect her feet.”
Wilson’s 2019 K°a'alaqs (Blue Jays) speaks to his childhood memories of learning to use a pah-pah guy-o, or bird trap, to catch and release various small birds. His favourite was always the K°a'alaqs (blue jay).
“When we did catch a K°a'alaqs, it was very angry and agitated indeed, so when let go, we got to see them flying around with their crests on full display --- not to mention hearing their non-stop, sharp, indignant, cries of outrage at our youthful indiscretion of catching them in our PAH-PAH-GUY-O!” Wilson writes in his artist’s statement.
“There is no traditional HAISLA story regarding the K°a'alaqs that NOO-GWA [I] am aware of, but in a broader sense, this print relates to part of HAISLA history because in those earlier times the HAISLA still retained an extremely strong hunting point-of-view. The PAH-PAH-GUY-O was one way to gently introduce young HAISLA males to the HAISLA hunting way-of-life of those times.
Among the featured Inuit artists are first-generation carvers such as Osuitok Ipeelee, Kaka and Kiawak Ashoona, Kananginak Pootoogook, John Pangnark and George Tataniq as well as contemporary artists such as Nuna Parr, Toonoo Sharky, Billy Kuksuk, and Ningeosiaq Ashoona.
As part of the Northwest Coast art being showcased, the exhibition illustrates the tradition of younger artists apprenticing with master carvers, such as Art Thompson, who mentored Morris (Moy) Sutherland, who is passing the legacy along to carver Joslyn Williams. Other examples include Bill Henderson and his nephews Junior Henderson and Greg Henderson as well as Joe David and his daughter Marika Swan.
For more information, see the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver.
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