BRIGHTNESS / DARKNESS
This project is ongoing
2014 - /
FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, I have travelled at least once a year to Nunavik, the homeland of the Inuit of Quebec, on assignment for Air Inuit, documenting positive forces in most of the fourteen communities within Nunavik. During these travels, in an attempt to move away from the usual romantic and folkloric notions with which southerners have traditionally portrayed the North, I've also created a body of work representing my personal experience within the Inuit community. Using symbolism, various themes of the recorded history and contemporary life in the North are subtly brought to the forefront. Focusing on the idea of contrasts, which permeates my experience of the North, the work combines a documentary approach with the visual language of dreams.
A selection of photographs from this project were presented as an exhibition at Montreal's The Letter Bet gallery, in July 2018.
Annie Lock wearing her traditional throat-singing parka
Kuujjuaq, 2016
ᖃᐅᒪᓂᖅ
ᑖᕐᑐᓯᓂᖅ
Elijah Annahatak catches a landlocked char on Tasialuk lake
Pingualuit National Park, March 2018
Henry Jonas at home with his sister Edna Kitty Jonas
Kuujjuaq, 2018
Henry Jonas at home
Kuujjuaq, 2018
Inukjuak Beach, 2016
Our small convoy of skidoos makes its way down a snowy riverbed
Pingualuit National Park, March 2018
A well-deserved slab of caribou at Maali Turkirqi's after a 6 hour skidoo ride in from Pingualuit Park
Kangiqsujuaq, March 2018
A serious game of billiards at the Salluit Youth Centre
Salluit, 2015
Nikkuk in the making in Alena's closet
Kuujjuaq, March 2018
Susie Koperqualuk in her traditional amautik
Salluit, Nunavik, 2014
Williara Alaku opens up a cup o' soup
Pingualuit National Park, Nunavik, March 2018.
Constable Pamela Stevenson, the only female Inuk (ᐃᓄᒃ) police officer on the Kativik Regional Police Force.
Kuujjuaq, Dec 2018
Soap stone carver Jimmy Jonas holds up a wolf pelt brought to him by his nephew, who had to defend himself after his hunting party’s tent out on the land was surrounded by a pack of 9 wolves on a cold February night.
Kuujjuaq, March 2018.
A cross eerily lights up the snowy night sky over the inuit community of Kangiqsujuaq (ᑲᖏᕐᓱᔪᐊᖅ), one of the fourteen villages in Nunavik (ᓄᓇᕕᒃ), the homeland of the Inuit of Quebec.
Kangiqsujuaq, March 2018.
Maya outside Alena's house
Kuujjuaq, Dec 2018
Melissa Haney, the first female Inuk pilot to reach the rank of captain
Montréal, 2016
ᐊᓖᓇ
Alena Stevenson
Kuujjuaq, Sept 2017
Some shells Alena and I collected and assembled at sunset
Puvirnituq, Sept 2017
ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ
Alena Stevenson
Air Inuit
George Kauki
Thomassie Mangiok
Noah & Elijah Annahatak
Beatrice Deer
Pamila Stevenson
Valerie & Annie Lock
Bobby Ilisituk
Élise Danielle
Juliette Ruer
Marilyn Fortin
Ludivine Dubus
Lison Budzyn
Mélissa Guillemette
Marc-André Sabourin
Émilie Folie-Boivin
Thanks also to everyone I've met along the way and with whom I've shared some time up North. <3
ᖃᐅᒪᓂᖅ / ᑖᕐᑐᓯᓂᖅ (BRIGHTNESS / DARKNESS), The Letter Bet, July 2018
ᖃᐅᒪᓂᖅ / ᑖᕐᑐᓯᓂᖅ (BRIGHTNESS / DARKNESS), The Letter Bet, July 2018
ᖃᐅᒪᓂᖅ / ᑖᕐᑐᓯᓂᖅ (BRIGHTNESS / DARKNESS), The Letter Bet, July 2018