Inuit Wallhangings
A highly distinctive art form, nivinngajuliaat (wall hangings), developed out of government-sponsored craft programs in the Arctic starting in the 1940s and 50s, beginning with the sewing program in Qamani`tuaq (Baker Lake) established in the 1960s.
Nivinngajuliaat were conceived by the seamstresses of the community. These brightly stitched textiles feature graphic appliquéd images, often enhanced with embroidery, centering on the dynamics and interrelationships between people and animals. This largely matriarchal practice reveals how women artists in Qamani`tuaq mentored one another in producing unique aesthetic and conceptual lineages.
Over the past 45 years, Gallery Phillip has exhibited remarkable examples of nivinngajuliaat from such masters as Jessie Oonark, Victoria Mamnguqsualuk and Janet Kigusiuq.
Photo: Jessie Oonark at work
