鈥淚nuit artists have always been observational. They鈥檝e always documented the land, and it鈥檚 not necessarily because they want to talk about climate change 鈥� they document it because it鈥檚 what they do. They鈥檙e communicating to the audience what is going on in their environment.

鈥淏ut what we鈥檙e finding 65 years later is we can look through our archives of drawings and prints and pick key moments where things were happening scientifically as observed by the artist. It鈥檚 kind of amazing.鈥�

That comes from William Huffman, marketing manager and recently appointed interim general manger at the West Baffin Cooperative, who is frequently on the move around the globe bringing Inuit art to new cultures, setting up exhibits, networking and making connections that promote Inuit art and way of life to the world.

Beyond just reaching artists, people in other fields are using the work Huffman is bringing to them as a touchpoint for their conversations, connecting concepts and different Indigenous peoples in an increasingly global village.

Speaking from Scotland last month, Huffman was fresh off a trip showcasing Kinngait and West Baffin Cooperative art in the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam as part of the Team Canada trade mission.

It was part of Kinngait Studio鈥檚 65th anniversary celebrations.

鈥淲hen we talk about Indigenous populations, we also tend to forget that in places like the [Republic of] Korea 鈥� Koreans are the Indigenous peoples,鈥� says Huffman.

The exhibit in Gwangju at the LeeKangHa Art Museum, titled 鈥楢rctic Myths, Resistance to Extinction鈥� running from March 19 to May 19, is West Baffin鈥檚 second project at the venue. The exhibition features documents that the Korea-Canada Arctic Research Project team encountered during a November 2023 visit to Kinngait.

鈥淭he exhibition in Gwangju is as much a celebration of art making in both Korea and Kinngait as it is a record of the relationships that were forged when the delegation visited us,鈥� commented Joemee Takpaaungai, associate manager of arts at Kinngait Studios. 鈥楾here are some older prints in the show, new works by the Korean artists who were here in the studio, spectacular drone footage of our local landscape, interviews with Inuit artists and documentation of an amazing moment when a Korean dancer had an improvisational performance in our gallery space with two local throat singers. There鈥檚 so much behind these 鈥榙ocuments鈥�.

鈥楾he Korean-Arctic project is about a growing conversation between these two places,鈥� Takpaaungai continued. 鈥淚n 2023, I helped to select the 93 works of art that populated the Canadian Pavilion at Gwangju Biennale. I never imagined it would be such a success that West Baffin Cooperative would be asked to do it again this year. It was more than a simple exhibition, after people saw the show they wanted to know more about Inuit art, Inuit people and this mysterious place, the Arctic, where we live.

鈥淎fter lots of discussion, we decided it was important to host some Koreans in Kinngait, and that鈥檚 what happened in December last year. All the things that happened during the visit, all the knowledge that we shared together, that will be the basis of the 2024 Canadian pavilion. And this current exhibition at LeeKangHa Art Museum is a teaser for the Koreans about what this year鈥檚 project is going to be about.鈥�

鈥淭his initiative has grown into something much more than anticipated, by truly bringing together the Inuit artists of Kinngait with their counterparts in Gwangju, Korea,鈥� says LeeKangHa Art Museum director Sun Lee. 鈥淭his shared experience proves that two different communities, from opposite sides of the planet, can become one unique international family.鈥�

鈥淪uddenly now,鈥� said Huffman, 鈥渨e鈥檙e starting to share this kind of Inuit traditional knowledge鈥� [These] documents [are] now part of temporary discussion.鈥�

鈥楾he Igloo鈥�, said Takpaaungai, referring to a special instillation featured in the exhibition, 鈥渋s made out of traditional Korean paper. We make them from snow but our Korean friends can make them out of paper. The artist, Seola Kim, spent time here, worked in the studio drawing and became more familiar with the stonecut printmaking process. I鈥檓 very happy to see that she was inspired by Inuit art and culture and that our Igloos are now finding their way to Korea.

鈥淲hen you see the gravitas of this work, how sophisticated this work actually is 鈥� and the history of the organization is so compelling as one of the first Indigenous-owned, Inuit-owned social enterprises in the country 鈥� you鈥檝e got all the toolkit to motivate people.鈥�

Harmonizing relationships

In addition to the exhibit in Gwangju, West Baffin Cooperative joined other Canadian business leaders participating in a delegation to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. While exploring future possibilities for the artists of Kinngait, West Baffin was also able to conduct market research while taking part in business briefings, plenary presentations, networking opportunities and events with the stakeholders from every nation.

鈥淭he vision of the West Baffin Cooperative 鈥� I have such a close relationship with my board and with people like [president] Pauloosie [Kowmageak],鈥� said Huffman. 鈥淚 say to them, 鈥業 have a crazy idea鈥�,鈥漌e鈥檝e been invited to Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City. What do you think?鈥� And they鈥檒l say, 鈥楧o you think there鈥檚 an opportunity there?鈥� and I鈥檒l say, 鈥業 think I can make it work.鈥� And then they鈥檙e like, 鈥楪o, and send us some pictures.鈥� And that鈥檚 the Inuit community, doing more for the promotion [of their own people] that I can use to harmonize that into [other] relationships鈥� I say to [the board of directors], 鈥業鈥檝e been invited by the Canadian government, and I鈥檓 going to try to find more marketplaces for Inuit art鈥�.鈥�

Huffman says he was compelled by the inequities between the North and the south.

鈥淲hy am I doing this? It was just so palpable how frustrated artists in the North are,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e largely been able to, over the last nine years, to go all over the world and [create] relationships with major educational institutions and museums.

Kowmageak added, 鈥淎s a board of directors, we prioritize the organization鈥檚 presence on the international stage, and that鈥檚 something our founding artist members like Kenojuak Ashevak pioneered. We are proud to build on a strong tradition of taking the Inuit art of Kinngait and the work of the West Baffin Cooperative to audiences across the globe.鈥�