Inuit Artist Uses Traditional Materials to Tell Contemporary Stories

Inuit artist Josephee Haali is using both new and traditional materials to create art from his contemporary experiences and observations.

Researching and creating prints and carvings

Inuit artist Josephee Haali comes from Kinngait, Nunavut, a community and family that have practiced printmaking and stone carving for generations. He will use his grant not only to continue this tradition, but also to push its boundaries. Rather than using stone as his ancestors did, Josephee will use linoleum blocks to create three-dimensional engravings for making prints. He will also experiment with different types of linocut, which is a form carved in relief on a block of linoleum.

Guided by two mentors from different artistic disciplines

Josephee’s ambition to expand the arts of carving and printmaking has led him to seek the counsel of two mentors. Ashoona Ashoona is a professional artist who works with stone, following nearly a decade working as a master printer at Kinngait Studios. Alexa Hatanaka is also a professional artist, but unlike Ashoona Ashoona, her specialities are printmaking and using historical Japanese craft processes.