Inuk Style

Drawn from the collections of the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Government of Nunavut’s Fine Art Collection, Inuk Style presents a dynamic range of clothing items spanning the Western to the Eastern regions of the Canadian Arctic.

Historically, many seamstresses learned from a young age to sew and to make their own clothing from skins – either caribou or seal skin. In celebration of the next generation of Inuit designers, this exhibition also presents a selection of fashionable accessories and jewelry handcrafted with delicate care and precision using sewing skills passed down through many generations. From the beaded fringes on amautiit, to the carved caribou antler beads, Inuit have put much of their own identity into these wearable works of art.

The Government of Nunavut Fine Arts Collection holds a large number of jewellery and fashionable accessories that have been handcrafted with much delicate care – from carving bone and antler beads for necklaces, to ivory hair combs and pins.

In October 2020, the WAG, University of Manitoba, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and Red River College hosted The Decolonizing Lens, which featured screenings of TUNNIIT: Retracing the Lines of Inuit Tattoos and Wearing My Culture followed by a discussion with the directors Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Ulivia Lay Thomassie. Catch the discussion here: