We are pleased to announce the next event for the Ka’nikonhrí:yo Gatherings, presented in partnership with the Onsite Gallery at OCAD U.
On Thursday, November 16, Native Women in the Arts will host the Indigenous Tattoo Resurgence Panel with Holly Nordlum, Maya Jacobsen, and Jay Soule, moderated by Aylan Couchie.
The talk will focus on revitalization, ancient traditions, design, health & safety, technique, and the importance of preservation. Holly will also be giving us a sneak peek of her up and coming documentary Tupik: Inuit Ink.
The Ka’nikonhrí:yo Gatherings connect cultural leaders to the Indigenous community in Toronto. Leaders discuss identity, wellness, language revitalization, traditional arts, ceremony, and history, as well as issues that face our communities such as climate change and the environment, decolonization, reconciliation, and sovereignty. Through monthly presentations, based on each leader’s own distinct nation and culture, the gatherings strengthen, empower, and support our community. Ka’nikonhrí:yo means to have a good mind in Kanien’kéha (Mohawk).
Artist Panel: Thursday, November 16, 2017 I 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Onsite Gallery, OCAD U, 199 Richmond St W, Toronto
Admission: FREE
For more info: events@nwia.ca
FB Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/875940665906340/
Holly Nordlum
Holly Mitotique Nordlum is an Inupiaq artist, born in Kotzebue, Alaska. Throughout her childhood Holly developed an appreciation for her culture, art, and life in the arctic. A couple of great art teachers throughout high school, (Susan Mason in Kotzebue, and Cindy Yarawamai at Hawaii Preparatory Academy), encouraged and inspired Holly. Her mother, Lucy, is also an artist and led her by example. Holly attended the University of Alaska, Anchorage and completed a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree in Graphic Design and Photography. While in school she also explored jewelry making, printmaking and sculpture.
Holly opened Naniq Design soon after graduation in 2004. She works full-time as a graphic designer and artist and Traditional Tattooist. She lives in Anchorage.
Maya Jacobsen
Maya Sialuk Jacobsen is Inuk from Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland, currently living in Svendborg, Denmark. Maya Sialuk is a Culture Bearer, researcher and educator, with 16 years of tattoo experience. The first ten years of her career she practiced western tattooing, and the last six she has spent solely committed to Inuit Tattoo Traditions.
She is co-owner of two tattoo shops in Oslo, Norway, and has 5 years experience from the Norwegian Tattoo Union, negotiating legislation with the authorities in Norway on health and safety in tattooing.
When Maya is not tattooing in her home studio, she is travelling in Inuit countries and teaching traditional tattoo methods to Inuit women, or working with research and culture preservation.
Jay Soule
Jay Soule is a Chippewa/Lebanese multimedia artist from the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation in Southern Ontario. Soule creates art under the name CHIPPEWAR; a play on words “Chippewa” and “warrior.”
Splitting his time between several styles of artistic work from tattooing, body piercing, painting, sculpting, installation work, music as well as his line of CHIPPEWAR war clothing. From spring to fall can find him on the Pow Wow trail selling his art, clothing and other.
He has been working as a professional body piercer for the last 17 years and tattooing for the last 13 year in professional shops in the USA, England, Australia and Canada.
In 2005, Jay established his company Armoured Soul Tattoos – Piercing & Art Gallery currently located 721 Queen St. West, Unit B Toronto. The studio’s walls are covered with his painting and carry his clothing line and a huge selection of piercing jewelry.
You can visit www.chippewar.com to see his artwork and clothing, go to www.armouredsoultattoos.com to see his Tattoo & Piercing portfolio or book an appointment in this Toronto Studio.
Aylan Couchie
Aylan Couchie is an interdisciplinary Anishinaabe artist and writer hailing from Nipissing (Nbisiing) First Nation in Northern Ontario. Though now based in Toronto, she received her BFA with a major in sculpture from NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is currently an MFA Candidate in the Interdisciplinary Art, Media and Design program at OCAD University where she is pursuing her graduate studies with a focus on Indigenous monument and public art.
Her work explores ideas of colonialism, land and First Nation realities and histories from her Two-Spirit, feminist perspective. While serving as director of marketing for The Front Room Gallery, she initiated and lead Barrie’s “Who New?!” Downtown Art Crawls as well as several other events in partnership with local organizations. She’s community driven and asserts an Indigenous presence on arts advisory committees and juries. She’s been the recipient of several awards including “Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture” through the International Sculpture Center and the Inaugural Barbara Laronde Award from Native Women in the Arts.
Most recently, Aylan won a Premier’s Award through Ontario Colleges which allowed her to create and establish a 5 year scholarship in support of single Indigenous mothers excelling in a post-secondary program at Georgian College.
Onsite Gallery
Onsite Gallery, OCAD University’s professional gallery and experimental curatorial platform for art, design and digital media, fosters social and cultural transformations. Onsite Gallery serves the OCAD University community and the general public.
