Sakkijâjuk

NUNATSIAVUT, the Inuit region of Canada that achieved self-government in 2005, produces art that is distinct within the world of Canadian and circumpolar Inuit art. The world's most southerly population of Inuit, the coastal people of Nunatsiavut have always lived both above and below the tree line. As a result, Inuit artists and craftspeople from Nunatsiavut have had access to a wide range of Arctic and Subarctic flora and fauna from which they have produced a stunningly diverse body of work.For too long, the artists of this region and their art have been largely unknown. In this magnificent book and an accompanying exhibition, writer-curator Heather Igloliorte seeks to right the record, bringing together, for the first time, the work of forty-seven Nunatsiavummiut artists and artisans. Innovative sculpture and textile work -- using traditional materials such as stone, wood, fur, hide, and seagrass -- are reproduced beside contemporary drawings, paintings, photographs, and ceramics. The work of elders and artistic forerunners is presented beside that of a new generation of artists.Divided into four generations, SakKiâjuk offers a visual history of contemporary artistic production in Nunatsiavut and introduces a vast range of artistic practice that sometimes adopts, often explores, and frequently reinterprets the unique creative traditions of this distinctive region.