Asingit, an lnuktitut word meaning "their others", is the title for this exhibition of lnuit art from the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre at the University of Guelph, Canada. Asingit suggests the concept of "others" within the spirit world, an aspect of traditional belief that every animate and inanimate object has both a spiritual and physical realm.1 Spirit imagery and transformation subjects appear in many of the works. Under special circumstances, animals and humans were believed to have the ability to transform one into another. Although Christianity is the prevalent religion in the Arctic today, traditional beliefs and patterns of thinking remain a dominant influence among these artists. The word asingit was also chosen to refer to the cross cultural themes which are explored in other works. Until the middle of the last century, lnuit were living a traditional nomadic lifestyle. Since then, they have undergone a rapid adaptation to modern technological society and its effect on their culture is explored by some of he artists included in the exhibition.

     The exhibition Asingit presents drawings and fabric art works by artists from Baker Lake, Nunavut, whose visually compelling works illustrate the rich heritage of shamanistic and traditional spirit imagery from which they draw their inspiration. Drawings by artists from Cape Dorset, Nunavut range from an early 1960 work by Kenojuak to drawings about contemporary social issues. Some of the works depict myths and legends such as a drawing by Povungnituk artist Syollie Amituk which illustrates the legend ofthe sea goddess Sedna.

     Each ofthe sixteen artists included in this exhibition expresses a singular vision rooted in tradition and history, while they live in the midst of a world affected by modern technologies. These artists are among numerous lnuit artists who have achieved international recognition for their own work and for their contributions to the development of Canadian lnuit art.

The contemporary period of Canadian lnuit art is considered to have begun in the middle of the twentieth century when carving programs were introduced in the Baffin region through the sponsorship of the Canadian Guild of Crafts and the Canadian government. These activities led to the successful marketing of lnuit sculpture to buyers in the South. Shortly after, drawing and printmaking programs were also successfully introduced to various communities. Original prints, particularly the relief print technique known as stonecutting, were sold to a growing number of international collectors. Another prominent lnuit art medium is the appliquéd wall hanging, a fabric art work created from wool cloth, felt and embroidery thread. The making of fabric pictures was a natural outgrowth of women's traditional sewing skills resulting in a remarkably bold art form.

This exhibition focuses on drawings and wall hangings representing the forty year period from 1960 to 2001. The subject matter in these works arises from each artist 's own life experience, their traditions and beliefs, and their deep personal commitment to preserve their heritage.

The artists' early lives were in traditional camps where they lived in caribou skin tents in the summer and snow houses in the winter. Hunting, storing and preparation of food, and the making of tools and clothing were central activities for the family's survival. This centuries-old nomadic lifestyle changed dramatically in the 1950s and 1960s when families began moving into settlements. The movement to settlements was necessitated by the scarcity of food due to the depletion of the caribou herds, which was their main food source. The settlements also provided schools and medical services. After moving to the settlements, many individuals became involved in arts and crafts programs which were developed to provide economic stability through the production of saleable art and craft objects.



lnuit means "the people" in the native language lnuktitut and is the preferred term over the name "Eskimo". lnuk is the singular for lnuit.