asinnajaq

asinnajaq
Born
Isabella Rose Rowan-Weetaluktuk

1991 (1991)
Kuujjuaq, Nunavik
CitizenshipInukjuamiut and Canadian
EducationFreda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design[1] 
Known forvisual artist, writer, filmmaker, and curator
AwardsSobey Award (2020)
Websitehttps://www.lichenolichen.ca/

asinnajaq (born 1991)[2] is a Canadian Inuk visual artist, writer, filmmaker, and curator,[1] from Inukjuak, Quebec.[3] She is most noted for her 2017 film Three Thousand, which received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Short Documentary Film at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards.[4] In 2025, a selection of her photographs were displayed at the National Gallery of Canada after she won the 2024 New Generation Photography Award.[5]

She has also been active as a curator of Inuit art and video projects, including the Canadian pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale[6] and the Inuit Art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.[7]

Early life and education

Isabella Rose Rowan-Weetaluktuk was born in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik in 1991.[8] She completed Bachelor of Fine Arts at Freda Diesing School of Northwest Coast Art in 2015, before completing an MFA film at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax.[1][9]The name asinnajaq is a family name that means "nomadic outlier" in the local Inuktitut dialect. Her mother, Carol Rowan, is a university professor, while her father, Jobie Weetaluktuk, is a filmmaker.[1]  Early in her artistic career she assisted her father while he worked on Timuti (2012), a short film based in Inukjuak, the home of their extended family.[10]

Personal life

asinnajaq is currently based out of Montreal, Quebec.[1]  She is the niece of Daniel Weetaluktuk, the first Inuk archeologist in Canada, who is the subject of her upcoming short film Daniel.[11]

Career

Through her artistic work, asinnajaq draws her inspiration from the notion of respect for human rights, and the desire to explore her Inuit heritage. Her practice is grounded in research and collaboration.[12] Her short film Upinnaqusittik, made in 2016, premiered at iNuit Blanche, the first ever circumpolar arts festival in St. John's.[13] She directed her award-winning short film Three Thousand in 2017 while working for the National Film Board and drew on their archival film collection for portions of the film's contents.[14]

Curatorial practice

Alongside her artistic work, asinnajaq has led multiple Inuit culture workshops at the McCord Museum[15] with her mother Carol Rowan.[1][16] In 2018, she co-created ᑎᓪᓕᑕᕐᓃᑦ Tilliraniit a three-day film festival celebrating Inuit art presented at FOFA Gallery in Montréal.[17] She was part of the curatorial teams for the Canadian Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale and joined group of other female curators during the opening of the Inuit Art Centre, Qaumajuq, at Winnipeg Art Gallery in 2020.[1][18]

In 2020 asinnajaq received a Sobey Art Award for the entire body of her artistic work.[19]

In 2024, she became the guest curator for the exhibition ᐆᒻᒪᖁᑎᒃ uummaqutik: essence of life at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, presenting selections from the museum's collection of Inuit art.[20] That same year, she won the 2024 New Generation Photography Award and had her photographic work displayed in the National Gallery of Canada.[21][5]

Residencies

  • daphne art center (2022)[22]

Exhibitions

Curated exhibits

Solo exhibits

  • ivaluit / sinews / tendons, daphne art centre, Montreal, Canada, March 9 – April 16 (2022) - curator[22]

Group exhibits

  • The Structure of Smoke, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (2026)[25]
  • 2024 New Generation Photography Award, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 14 February - 1 June (2025)[26]
  • femmes volcans forêts torrents, Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal, Canada, 11 April - 18 August (2024)[27]
  • Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, and Self-Determination since 1969, Hessel Museum of Art, New York, USA, 24 June – 26 November (2023)[28]
  • We Are Story: The Canada Now Photography Acquisition, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, January 28 - July 23 (2023)[29]
  • ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Towards Home, Canadian Center for Architecture, Montreal, Quebec, 1 June (2022) to 26 March (2023)[30]
  • Réclamer la terre, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France, 15 April - 4 September (2022)[31]
  • One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark, 23 March - 7 August (2022)[32]
  • When Veins Meet Like Rivers; ᑲᑎᓐᓂᖅ / okhížata /  maadawaan, Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, Winnipeg, Canada, 21 August - 17 December (2021)[33]
  • The Wildflower, Hafnarborg, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland 29 August - 8 November (2020)[34][35]
  • Holding on to Universes, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, Scotland, 7 February - 22 March (2020)[36]
  • Of Myths and Mountains, The Rooms, St. John's, Canada, 25 January - 12 April (2020)[37]
  • May the Land Remember You As You Walk Upon Its Surface, Manitoba Craft Council, Winnipeg, Canada, 10 January - 29 February (2020)[38]
  • ᐊᕙᑖᓂᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᑦ Among All these Tundras, Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery, Winnipeg, Canada, September 18 - December 7 (2019)[39][18]
  • Kaporangi Kiriata: CineMarae, The Arts House Trust, Auckland, New Zealand, 26 June – 22 July (2018)[40]
  • INSURGENCE/RESURGENCE, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Canada, 22 September (2017) - 18 April (2018)[41]

Filmography

Short film

Year Title Director Writer Assistant Director
2012 Timuti[42] No No Yes
2015 Rowan[43] No Yes No
2015 Salt Stains No No Yes
2016 Upinnaqusittik (Lucky) [13] Yes Yes No
2017 Three Thousand Yes Yes No
In production Daniel [11] Yes Yes No

Television

Year Title Role Episode(s)
2020-2023 Amplify Director Directed 2 episodes[44]

Other work

Acting roles

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Our Ottawa Self Short local TV series
2015 Rowan Rowan (main role) Thesis film from NSCAD
2024 Universal Language Knitter

Mentorship and cultural consultation

Year Title Role(s) Notes
2017 Shaman Cultural script consultant, mentor, trainer Short film
2021 Evan's Drum Mentor Short film
2021 Nalujuk Night Mentor Short film
2023 Hebron Relocation Mentor Short film
2023 Miss Campbell: Inuk Teacher Mentor Short film

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated Work(s) Award Won Festival/Institution Location
2025 All works Pierre-Ayot Award[45] Yes Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC), Ville de Montréal Canada
2024 Photography series 2024 New Generation Photography Award [26] Yes National Gallery of Canada Canada
2020 All works Sobey Art Award [19] Yes The Sobey Art Foundation Canada
2019 Three Thousand "Ô Canada — Québec, Premières Nations, etc." Program[46] Yes Festival international du court métrage France
2018 Three Thousand Best Short Documentary[47] No Canadian Screen Awards Canada
2018 Three Thousand Best Indigenous Short Film Award[48] Yes Skábmagovat Film Festival Finland
2018 Three Thousand International Indigenous Award[49] Yes Wairoa Maori Film Festival New Zealand-Aotearoa
2017 Three Thousand Imagine Native Film and Kent Monkman Award for Best Exposition[50]


Yes Media Arts Festival Canada
2017 All works Indigenous Art Award[1] Yes REVEAL Canada

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "asinnajaq". Inuit Art Quarterly. Inuit Art Foundation. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Asinnajaq, Three Thousand". National Gallery of Victoria. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Winnipeg Art Gallery names 4 curators for Inuit Art Centre's 1st exhibitions". CBC News Manitoba, February 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "Natar Ungalaaq and Asinnajaq nominated for Canadian Screen Awards". Inuit Art Quarterly, March 15, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "New Generation Photography Award". www.gallery.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  6. ^ Greenberger, Alex (December 13, 2017). "Isuma Will Represent Canada at the 2019 Venice Biennale". ARTnews. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  7. ^ Lenard Monkman, "Construction begins on Winnipeg Art Gallery's Inuit Art Centre". CBC News Indigenous, May 25, 2018.
  8. ^ "About". asinnajaq. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  9. ^ NSCAD University (April 20, 2023). "Alumna asinnajaq uitaalutuq talks about how NSCAD influenced her filmmaking".
  10. ^ "Asinnajaq". cinema politica. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Daniel Weetaluktuk: A Community Archaeology Pioneer". Your Museum. Your Stories. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  12. ^ "Session: Isabella Weetaluktuk". Dazibao (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  13. ^ a b Canada, Office national du film du. "Films de l'ONF réalisés par Asinnajaq". Office national du film du Canada (in French). Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  14. ^ "Montreal film screening aims to emphasize Indigenous politics, perspectives". Archived from the original on 2018-01-28.
  15. ^ Three Thousand, Canada National Film Board of, retrieved 4 April 2020
  16. ^ "Animaatiot pärjäsivät alkuperäiskansojen elokuvafestivaalilla – Skábmagovat-palkinnot jaettiin ensimmäistä kertaa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 27 January 2018. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  17. ^ "asinnajaq". Media City Film Festival. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  18. ^ a b Nesbitt, Sarah (March 4, 2019). "On the psychology of memory, memes, and knowing who you are: in conversation with Asinnajaq". Public Parking. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  19. ^ a b "Inuk artist Asinnajaq wins a 2020 Sobey Art Award". Nunatsiaq News. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  20. ^ a b Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. "ᐅᒻ ᒪᖁᑎᒃ uummaqutik: essence of life [press kit]". Google Docs. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  21. ^ Bimal, Nehaa (March 3, 2025). "Award-winning Nunavik artist explores connection to land". Nunatsiaq News. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  22. ^ a b "Past Exhibitions". daphne art center. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  23. ^ "With the Seasons ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᑦᔨᑕᕐᓂᖓᑕ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ". Visual Arts Centre. 2022.
  24. ^ "INUA » WAG". WAG. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  25. ^ "The Structure of Smoke". Preview Art Magazine. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  26. ^ a b "New Generation Photography Award". National Art Gallery of Canada. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  27. ^ "femmes volcans forêts torrents". MAC Montréal. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  28. ^ "Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, and Self-Determination since 1969". CCS Bard. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  29. ^ "We Are Story: The Canada Now Photography Acquisition". Art Gallery of Ontario. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  30. ^ "nuna & qulliq". asinnajaq. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  31. ^ "Réclamer la terre". Palais de Tokyo (in French). Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  32. ^ "New Red Order Presents: One if by Land, Two if by Sea". Art Matter. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  33. ^ Gomez, Mariana Muñoz (2021-08-26). "When Veins Meet Like Rivers; ᑲᑎᓐᓂᖅ / okhížata / maadawaan at Plug In ICA, Winnipeg". Akimbo Art. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  34. ^ "where you go i follow". asinnajaq. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  35. ^ "The Wildflower | Hafnarborg". hafnarborg.is. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  36. ^ Tranter, Emma. "Exhibit by Kinngait artist Shuvinai Ashoona to open in Glasgow next month". Nunatsiaq News. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  37. ^ "Of Myths and Mountains". Visual Arts News. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  38. ^ Craig, Katrina (2020-01-04). "May the Land Remember You As You Walk Upon Its Surface". C2 Centre for Craft. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  39. ^ "ᐊᕙᑖᓂᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᑦ / Among All These Tundras | OCAD University". www.ocadu.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  40. ^ "Kaporangi Kiriata: CineMarae". The Arts House Trust. 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  41. ^ "INSURGENCE/RESURGENCE". Winnipeg Art Gallery. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  42. ^ Canada, National Film Board of. "Timuti". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  43. ^ Rowan (Official Trailer). Retrieved 2026-03-05 – via vimeo.com.
  44. ^ "Asinnajaq | Additional Crew, Director, Actress". IMDb. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  45. ^ "Montréal and AGAC announce 2025 Pierre-Ayot and Louis-Comtois winners". Association des galeries d’art contemporain. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
  46. ^ "film-documentaire.fr - Portail du film documentaire". www.film-documentaire.fr. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  47. ^ "2018 Film Nominees". Academy.ca. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  48. ^ "Three Thousand". Archived from the original on 2018-12-19.
  49. ^ Canada, National Film Board of. "National Film Board of Canada". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  50. ^ "2017 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Awards - SWEET COUNTRY Wins Best Dramatic Feature". VIMOOZ. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.