Amisut

Amisut, meaning “many” in Inuktitut, reflects the abundance and richness embedded in this exhibition of ten contemporary Inuit artists working in printmaking and digital illustration– mediums that lend themselves to the concept of plenty. Inuit printmaking lore in so-called Canada is often associated with and attributed to the efforts of co-operatives, the Hudson’s Bay Company, qallunaat administrators, and government initiatives– collectively criticized for their colonial perspectives, capitalist motivations, influence over subject matter, and foundational power dynamics between artists, their communities, and non-Indigenous institutions.

These art, political, and cultural histories are also intertwined with La Guilde’s endeavours and mission, having been the first organization in the south to sell artwork by Inuit in 1949 and promoting it since. This complex legacy of support makes La Guilde a significant place to show work by artists producing outside of co-ops today. A glimpse into the current generation of emerging and mid-career Inuit printmakers, this exhibition includes a variety of printing techniques: linocut, etching, inkjet printing, and screenprinting.

Like a herd of tuktuit (caribou), a flock of migrating timmiat (birds), or a bag full of paurngat (berries), Amisut contains multitudes. All of these multidisciplinary artists, with connections to various communities across Inuit Nunangat and other Indigenous territories, share a common interest in artistic media that produce multiples. Creating a living tapestry of personal and collective narratives, the works interweave common threads of kinship, relationships with the nuna, intergenerational storytelling, resistance, and home.

All of the artists in this exhibition are developing their practices outside the Arctic co-op system, and therefore independent of the existing distribution networks. Amisut was created with the support of Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project, an innovative, hands-on mentoring and training program that encourages Inuit and Inuvialuit to become leaders in all areas of the arts. Within the context of these vibrant, expansive communities, these artists further Inuit artistic autonomy.