SA国际影视传媒淲ide and deep in content.SA国际影视传媒�

The power and the beauty of Yellowknife artist Germaine Arnaktauyok has been recognized at the highest level.

Arnaktauyok is the recipient of a 2021 Governor GeneralSA国际影视传媒檚 Award in Visual and Media Arts and an associated $25,000 prize.

The announced eight recipients of the award on Tuesday, all chosen for their exceptional careers and their remarkable contribution to the visual and media arts and fine crafts.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was always drawing since I was little and I never questioned it and just kept going,SA国际影视传媒� Arnaktauyok said in her video. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 74 years old and ISA国际影视传媒檓 still at it.SA国际影视传媒�

Born near Iglulik and now a resident of Yellowknife, much of her work depicts Inuit legends in pen ink drawings.

SA国际影视传媒淚 try to put myself in the story, you know, how they think, how they breathe, and I make them alive, I guess, in my mind,SA国际影视传媒� said Arnaktauyok.

SA国际影视传媒淕ermaine Arnaktauyok has charted her own course and created her own unique visual language, and her lifelong interest in her own unique Inuit culture has been an inspiration to many younger artists,SA国际影视传媒� stated Darlene Coward Wight, curator of Inuit art at The Winnipeg Art Gallery, who nominated Arnaktauyok.

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Though dates have yet to be confirmed, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre will be displaying ArnaktauyokSA国际影视传媒檚 drawings in a show in 2022.

Sarah Swan, Yellowknife art curator, said ArnaktauyokSA国际影视传媒檚 work is SA国际影视传媒渨ide and deep in contentSA国际影视传媒� as well as being varied in medium and themes throughout her career.

Swan describes her art as atmospheric, moody, evocative, mystical and striking. SA国际影视传媒淲hen you look at it, it hits you hard and is quite powerful as well as being soft and beautiful at the same time.SA国际影视传媒�

She said the Northern artistSA国际影视传媒檚 Governor General award will inspire younger generations of Inuit artists, but also makes even the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 lack of artistic resources.

SA国际影视传媒淭he NWT is really terrible at appreciating artists,SA国际影视传媒� Swan said, pointing to the lack of territorial art galleries. SA国际影视传媒淲e have almost zero infrastructure and almost zero educational opportunities for artists here.SA国际影视传媒� Despite that, she said the talented cohort of Yellowknife artists have thrived.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 hoping having a Governor General award winning artist living here in Yellowknife will draw the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 attention to the fact that we have a huge gaping hole here,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

~ with files from Derek Neary