Fanny Algaalaga Avatituq
b. 1950 Qamani’tuaq, NU
Fanny Algaalaga Avatituq is an amazing textile artist. She works at the Jessie Oonark Centre almost every afternoon and has been making wall hangings for many years but hasn’t been given much exposure. Most of her works are sold locally and rarely circulate in southern markets. This said, she is a very skilled artist. Fanny, much like her mother-in-law, Ruth Qaulluaryuk Nuilaalik, creates works that primarily feature flowers or leaves, resulting in dense, all-over patterns. And although they make similar work, Fanny’s pieces are still highly original. A perfectionist, Fanny will have a wall hanging almost finished but run out of green thread and then tear out all of the stitches to redo them in blue or some other colour, so that everything is harmonious. All are perfectly square, which is very difficult when you make works with lots of tight stitching. Large wall hangings can take Fanny a month or two to make, so we do not get to see as many of her works as we’d like. But when they do come through, they are always exceptional.