Nunavut singer Tanya Tagaq opens solo art exhibit in Toronto

“Walrus” by Tanya Tagaq is included in her solo exhibition of recent paintings at the Feheley Fine Arts gallery in Toronto. (IMAGE COURTESY OF FEHELEY FINE ARTS)

This painting by Tanya Tagaq is called “Christmas Wolf.” (IMAGE COURTESY OF FEHELEY FINE ARTS)

People in Tanya Tagaq’s home community of Cambridge Bay already know she can paint — you can see her paintings hanging around town in public buildings like the Kitikmeot health centre.

But Tagaq, who now lives in Yellowknife, remains better known for her award-winning recordings and as a throat singer who’s performed with big names internationally.

Now, Tagaq’s artwork is being introduced to Toronto.

Tagaq’s first solo exhibition of paintings opened June 16 at Feheley Fine Arts gallery, which specializes in contemporary Inuit art.

The 10 paintings by Tagaq, a graduate of the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design, focus on wildlife and transformation subjects “in highly coloured, imagined landscapes,” says information on the gallery’s website.

Tagaq’s first professional gig as a singer at the Great Northern Arts festival in Inuvik 12 years ago won the admiration of friends of Björk, led to an appearance on the Icelandic artists’s 2004 CD Medulla and offered Tagaq a chance to accompany Björk on tour.

Since then Tagaq has released two critically-acclaimed albums, Sinaa in 2005 and Auk/Blood in 2008, which were both nominated for Juno Awards.

In addition to touring with Björk, Tagaq has performed in New York City on several occasions, and has also collaborated and toured with the Kronos Quartet across North America and Europe.

Recently venturing into film, Tagaq contributed to the Journals of Knud Rasmussen soundtrack in 2009 and to the the National Film Board documentary, This Land in 2009.

Her video collaboration with filmmaker Zach Kunuk on Tungijuk premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and 2010 Sundance Film Festival and also won “Best Short Drama” at the 2009 imagiNATIVE Film + Media Festival Awards.

Tagaq’s exhibition continues until July 4 at Feheley Fine Arts, 65 George Street, in Toronto.

You can see the other works on display here.