The Alaska Native Arts Foundation is proud of artists and curators involved in the exhibition Qillaniq opening this week at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Qillaniq, an Inuktitut word describing how light from the sun or the moon shimmers brightly when reflecting on water, is co-curated by an all-Indigenous team from the circumpolar world, including Jocelyn Piirainen (Canada), Taqralik Partridge (Canada), Laakkuluk Williamson (Greenland), Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi (Alaska), Liisa-Ravna Finbog (Sami) and Ooleepeeka Eegeesiak (Canada).
Artwork in this exhibition reflect issues around Indigenous sovereignty, subsistence, and connections to land while expressing Indigenous identity and joy. The exhibition also celebrates the rich resources in the North that help to define and shape who we are—salmon, moose, arctic cotton grass, berries, seal and much more.
One of the first works of art that the public will encounter at the exhibition is a five-foot mask that was commissioned from Drew Michael and created during a two-week residency held at the SAW Gallery in Ottawa. The mask is a visual personification of the rivers that flow through the city, and reminder that personhood is present in all things. Other works of art from Alaska include a series of fishskin lanterns made by Emily Johnson and volunteers at community sewing events. The fish skin lanterns draw attention to the preciousness of salmon and their inherent beauty. Rebecca Lyon’s sculpture Plastic Death brings attention to environmental concerns and our need to protect natural resources. Kunaq Tahbone’s video installation shows the labor involved in processing seal hides.
Other Alaskan artists represented in this exhibition include Erin Gingrich, Amber Webb, Anna Hoover, Joel Isaak, Jenny Irene, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Emily Johnson, Erica Lord, Tanya Lukin-Linklater, Kunaq Tahbone, and Melissa Shaginoff. We recognize that artist often serve as cultural ambassadors. The artists are helping to increase visibility of Alaska on a global scale through their participation in this exhibition project.
The exhibition will run from June 12 through September 20, 2026.
See here for details: https://www.gallery.ca/whats-on/exhibitions-and-galleries/qillaniq
