Ningiukulu Teevee UK exhibit: Latest Kinngait artist in global spotlight

Eilís Quinn, Eye on the Arctic @arctic_eq
Posted: Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 15:38 — Last Updated: Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 15:58
0 Comments

Artist Ningiukulu Teevee (left) points to an image at the Stories from Kinngait exhibition at Canada House in London, England. (Lily Rose Grant/Courtesy Canadian High Commission)

A new exhibition from Ningiukulu Teevee, one of the standout artists from northern Canada, opened in London, England on Thursday, the latest show from a Kinngait artist on the international stage.

“My work comes from stories that I have heard, that are unwritten, only spoken, and kept by few,” Teevee said in a statement.

Ningiukulu Teevee: Stories from Kinngait features 26 artworks from the artist and was curated by Dr. Darlene Coward Wight.

Teevee is from the community of Kinngait in the Arctic territory of Nunavut and she’s known for her work depicting Inuit legends as well as contemporary life in the North.

In 2023, she received the Inuit Art Foundation Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award, a biennial prize established to recognize and boost the visibility of mid-career Inuk artists.

“The first storyteller that caught my attention was Mialia Jaw,” Teevee said.

“She came to a classroom to tell her stories. Listening to her fed my imagination. It has led me to win the Inuit Art Foundation Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award and a trip to places such as London, England—an exciting opportunity to learn, and possibly to teach those who want to learn.”

Increasing international recognition for Arctic art

Teevee’s exhibition is the latest example of the increasing international spotlight on Arctic artists.

Fellow Kinngait artist Shuvinai Ashoona also has an exhibition on in London at The Perimeter, titled When I Draw.

In recent years, artwork by Kinngait artists has been exhibited in places ranging from Warsaw and Paris to Seoul, New York, and Los Angeles, among other cities. Arctic artists are also garnering increased media attention including in publications like The Art Newspaper.

Kinngait artist Saimaiyu Akesuk at he Canada Goose x West Baffin Cooperative initiative as part of Art Basel Miami, where three new print editions by Saimaiyu Akesuk were launched. (Stephen James / West Baffin Cooperative)

“For me, it’s not surprising, but it’s incredible gratifying,” William Huffman, marketing manager at the West Baffin Cooperative told Eye on the Arctic.

“This work resonates because it looks to history—inspired by the past, the challenges of living on the land, the unique landscape—but there’s also this uber-contemporaneity.”

Kinngait, an Inuit community formerly known as Cape Dorset, became famous for its annual print collection first launched in 1959.

Kinngait “exploring the next stage”

Upcoming international exhibitions include a collaboration between Kinngait and Korean artists for a second Canada Pavilion at Gwangju Biennale in Korea and an exhibition featuring both historical and contemporary works centered around the theme of ‘seal’ co-curated by Rhode Island School of Design and West Baffin Cooperative.

Huffman said the art and artists of Kinngait continue to evolve and he’s confident their work will continue to resonate globally.

“The art of Kinngait has this very specific way of examining the history of artmaking in the Arctic, but also exploring what the next stage of that expression looks like in the world.”