From the Editor
Stories have power for both the storyteller, and the listener or reader. They shape our understanding of the world, the people in it and our relationships to each other. Who tells the stories we hear, and in what language, is central to the power of any story. At its core, each issue of the IAQ is a collection of stories that connects us with artists. In this issue, the process of telling these stories and the voices of authors are front and centre.
Our ideas of what Inuit ar t is, or can be, has been shaped by the stories we have read. Yet, until recently, we rarely heard from Inuit ar tists themselves.
What might change when Inuit tell their own stories, in their own words and in their own language? Does our understanding of art and artmaking change? The artists and writers published throughout this issue offer various answers to these questions, but all share a through line: the power shif ts profoundly back to ar tists, and we can see their work in a different and compelling light.
The cover of this issue confronts this subject directly by reproducing one cell of Karoo Ashevak (2020) by Inuit comic ar tist Napatsi Folger, which is reproduced in full in Last Look. An internationally celebrated ar tist, the works of Ashevak (1940–1974) are often interpreted as elegant examples of primitivism, the aesthetics of which are deeply rooted in an imagined past. However, when Folger gives them voice, they are unequivocally contemporary, protesting, “We’re modern expressionist, bro!”
Voice is a critical theme explored throughout the issue. Jolene Banning’s Feature inter view with musical superstar Elisapie of fers a revealing por trait of how her music is deeply inter twined with the communities she calls home. As in music, narrative can be the driving force of creative writing and visual ar t. The shor t stories by Jamesie Fournier, Alberta Rose W./Igniq, Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona and Curtis Mesher serve as imaginative companions to works of ar t by Zebede Evaluardjuk-Fournier, Kablusiak, Couzyn van Heuvelen and Jennifer La Page, respectively. The intimate relationships between these ar tists’ works create a broader stor y about ar tistic inspiration and the impor tant connections forged through stor y telling.
Inuit stor y telling stretches back to time immemorial, and enduring myths continue to inform work made today, connecting past and present. The Inter view with acclaimed ar tis t Germaine Arnak tauyok explores her personal connections to ancient stories and how they impacted her work and career. This issue’s Production Notes features a discussion between Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory and Vinnie Karetak, who both directed theatrical productions of Kiviuq Returns.
Each reflects on the power ful process of bringing this epic legend to life and centring Inuit language for audiences across Canada. Finally, Por t folio pairs a range of stunning sculptures with ancient poems, reclaimed from English in a modern Inuktitut translation.
The stories we hear, and from whom, can have profound effects on us and the world around us in ways that are not immediately apparent and that we cannot always anticipate. I hope this issue provides you with some new voices and new perspectives. This issue would not be possible without our incredible community of artists, writers and supporters. Thank you for helping to bring these stories to light. May they bring you joy, inspire you and keep you connected to the ar t we all love as we emerge from winter into the brightness of spring.