Inuit Futures ilinniaqtuit

Aedan Corey

Aedan Corey is a postsecondary student, multidisciplinary artist, and emerging curator and project coordinator. They currently reside in Ottawa, ON where they are completing a bachelor’s in Indigenous studies, including coursework in women’s and gender studies. Originally from Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), Aedan originally moved to Ottawa in 2018 to pursue higher education, yet has also become closely affiliated with the Nordic Lab at Ottawa’s SAW gallery. As Nordic Lab’s project manager, in collaboration with Inuit Futures, they coordinated and moderated a two-part Zoom panel series titled Inuk Ink where guests spoke about their knowledge of Inuit tattooing. In November 2022, they organized the first ever Ukiaksaaq Indigenous Art Market at the gallery, which was a highly successful sale showcasing numerous local artist’s works. Aedan is also a curatorial assistant and part of SAW gallery’s production team. This involves producing exhibition materials such as screen printing t-shirts, tote bags and making prints on paper, for sale during the exhibitions. For example, they assisted in the creation of the works for sale during the Tarralik Duffy exhibition, Pop Chip Kukuk (2022). Aedan worked closely with Inuit Futures Leadership Group member and Mentor Taqralik Partridge, former Director of Nordic Lab, whon is now an Associate Curator of Indigenous Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario. 

“Being mentored by Taqralik has been a mind-blowing opportunity for me. [She is] so patient and willing to help, always. [It was] so great going through the process of helping with the exhibition, [and that] went on to her making sure that I have enough opportunities even aside from the Nordic Lab with my own artistic endeavours, by offering to help me write grants and stuff like that. It’s been a learning process and also really fun and helpful and instrumental to me being where I’m at now in my artistic career.”