Nicole Luke

FOSTERING “CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND DESIGN” IN THE NORTH DRIVES THIS INUK DESIGNER

“How can architecture be more culturally relevant for Inuit?” asks Winnipeg-based Nicole Luke, who has her professional sights set on Inuit Nunangat, the four Inuit regions in Canada’s Far North. Hailing from Igluligaarjuk, also known as Chesterfield Inlet, in Nunavut, Luke is primed to make history as the first Inuk graduate of a national architecture program when she receives a Master of Architecture from the University of Manitoba this spring. It’s a distinction she is preparing for with full awareness of its significance to her community across Canada.

Most recently, Luke has lent her skills to the Winnipeg Art Gallery as the exhibition designer behind “INUA,” the first major presentation at Qaumajuq (formerly known as the Inuit Art Centre). Creating graphic partitions inspired by Inuit culture, such as the shapes of traditional tattoos and the curves of clothing patterns, Luke worked closely with the all-inuit curatorial team responsible for the exhibition to create a unique, immersive experience for visitors. Due to pandemicrelated restrictions, much of the overall scheme was completed via Zoom calls and leveraged collaborative 3D modelling. Every detail — down to the display platforms that were made to appear like ice breakup — was conceived by Luke with the guidance of fellow Inuit art and design professionals. “The process was amazing,” she recalls, “and it helped me feel more assured of my overall path.”

Contending with the fraught history of the federal government’s relocation of Inuit to permanent settlements from the mid–20th century on, Luke approaches her work with the goal of aiding in the reshaping of northern communities designed for Inuit, by Inuit or in close collaboration with Inuit. It’s a perspective she’s exploring with her ongoing thesis project, which centres Inuit sovereignty and values in the design and construction of much-needed public amenities throughout Nunavut. “We forget sometimes that many of these communities are only 50 to 70 years old,” Luke says. “I want to know what the next 100 years of sustainable, culturally appropriate infrastructure looks like in the north.” _EMILY LAURENT HENDERSON

Borrowing from the geometries of Inuit tattoos and more, Nicole Luke’s exhibition design for “INUA” encloses a series of furnishings intended to capture the ever-changing ice conditions of Canada’s northern landscape.