Art made by Cape Dorset youth on display at Nunavut legislature

At the launch of the “Ungava and Imagine If” exhibit on Sunday, Aug. 12, youth artist Saaki Nuna from Cape Dorset told people about his surreal cyanotype print. The youth art collective Embassy of Imagination is showing their work at Nunavut’s legislative assembly until Dec. 1. (PHOTO BY COURTNEY EDGAR)

Cape Dorset youth have their artwork on display at Nunavut’s legislative assembly.

Embassy of Imagination, an Inuit youth art collective led by Alexa Hatanaka and Patrick Thompson, is running their exhibit “Uvanga and Imagine If” from Aug. 12 until Dec. 1. Uvanga means “myself”—which corresponds to the self-portraits on display, while the “Imagine If” part of the title refers to the imaginary beings in the art on the opposite wall.

With cyanotype prints of fantastical creatures, self-portrait linocut prints, paper-cut masks and even a sculpture made from the metal from a burnt-down school, the gallery hall is filled with the creations of youthful imaginations.

A cyanotype is a form of printing using photography that makes the image blue. A linocut is a type of print made by carving into linoleum and printing the surface.

The art show launched on the evening of Sunday, Aug. 12, with six of the Cape Dorset youth artists attending to speak about their works and processes.

For Hatanaka, the projects were meant to inspire the youth to imagine all the possibilities of who and what they will become. Since most of the artwork on display was made in 2016, Hatanaka says the series offers the kids a chance for self-reflection and to imagine their future and dreams.

“It kind of speaks to the feeling of being hopeful and dreaming, for the youth projecting forward into the future,” Hatanka said.

She describes one surreal work as having a “dreamed-up and fantastical” look, with the traditional element of a qulliq supporting a “strange creature” floating overhead.

The artist, Saaki Nuna, says that work started off as a badminton birdie, then he made a face and a body on it. It flies over a qulliq that is floating in the sky, with tiny lines representing people at the bottom.

The size of the qulliq floating over the little people signifies to Nuna how much that tradition means to Inuit.

“How big it is,” Nuna said.

Another youth, Harry Josephee, described how he learned to cut linoleum to make prints with Embassy of Imagination.

And Kevin Qimirpiq, another youth, talked about how much he loves getting the chance to practise drawing with the Embassy of Imagination.

Last year, he even got to work with the collective to paint a life-size whale mural on a building in Ottawa’s ByWard Market area.

“I had worked with Alexa before on an art project and the stuff they do with the kids up there is amazing so I thought it would be really awesome to be able to highlight that here,” said Sarah McNair-Landry, co-curator at the legislative assembly.

“We call it youth art but it stands on its own. It is amazing art.”

With funding from the Department of Culture and Heritage at the Nunavut government and Nunavut Tourism, Embassy of Imagination was able to bring some of the youth to Iqaluit for a few days for this exhibit.

While most of the artwork has been sold, there are still six pieces that are available for purchase by contacting Embassy of Imagination.

“I think it’s a really great opportunity for the youth of Cape Dorset to really showcase their talent,” said Josh Komangapik, who works for the Department of Environment.

“Their town is really known for their arts and culture so it’s good to know they can really have a career in it.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Josh Komangapik works for the Department of Culture and Heritage. In fact, he works for the Department of Environment. As well, an earlier version of this story stated that the artists produced lithotypes, rather than linocuts.