Profile: Leanne Inuarak-Dall
Photo courtesy of Leanne Inuarak-Dall
Leanne Inuarak-Dall is originally from Belleville and Ottawa, Ontario, and she has familial ties to Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), Nunavut. Currently living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (Vancouver, British Columbia), Leanne is entering her third year of a Fine Arts program at Langara College, developing her artistic practice through the program’s various studio-based courses. Though Leanne is now an emerging artist, her journey to Langara College was not entirely linear. Shortly after high school, Leanne worked as a flight attendant for an airline called Canadian North, living in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) and working among fellow Inuit on flights that could take her to parts of Inuit Nunangat. Through her job as a flight attendant, Leanne was able to fly to see her family in Mittimatalik for the first time in years— she even met some family members for the first time. This was a significant trip for Leanne, as flights to remote communities in the north can be incredibly expensive. At one point, Leanne dreamt of becoming a pilot, but when she was laid off, she had to reimagine what her next steps would be. At this point, she turned to her passion for the arts and decided to develop her artistic practice more deeply through a college program. When asked about her decision to study art, Leanne passionately remarked, “It’s hard for me to even answer, ‘when did you decide to become an artist?’ I’ve always created things.” Becoming an artist was certainly the natural next step for Leanne.
Leanne enjoys the mobility that comes with exploring a vast array of media, saying “I like to be able to move between different media”. While she has primarily worked in painting and drawing in the past, the studio courses in her program allowed her to learn new skills and media like foundry, metal and woodwork. Leanne also took a course on weaving that created a space for her to learn with other Indigenous students, inspiring her to try new techniques like spinning and dyeing wool. In early 2021, she began a project that she calls “weave diaries”, where she weaves a part of a tapestry for 15 minutes, incorporating a small token that represents a part of her day. She completed a full tapestry representing diaries from January 2021 to April 2021. Leanne loves collaging particularly because it encourages her to bring together different media into one piece, such as in her works like Qittianituu (2019) which explores her identity as an Inuk raised in urban settings in Southern Canada. Though it is not always the main focus of her pieces, her identity and subject position as an Inuk raised in the South often forms the lens of her work and, as she explains, “it always comes out in different ways”.
Leanne Inuarak-Dall, Weaving Lasqueti Island, BC, 2016. Image courtesy of the artist.
At the 2019 Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, Leanne met fellow Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuk Emily Henderson. Emily spotted Leanne’s beautiful ivory ulu earrings from across the space, and asked Leanne “This might be weird to ask, but are you Inuk?” Feeling recognized and seen by another Inuk, Leanne responded with a resounding “yes” and connected with Emily about Inuktitut language sessions with other Inuit, including Mark Igloliorte and Lindsay McIntyre, and other Inuit Futures Illiniaqtuit Napatsi Folger and Kajola Morewood. Soon after, Emily introduced Inuit Art Quarterly (IAQ) to Leanne, and Leanne began writing social media posts for IAQ as an Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuk. Now, Leanne is a contributing writer for IAQ, adding “writer” to her blossoming career in the arts. Before joining IAQ, Leanne never felt completely confident in writing , but she has come into her writing skills rather gracefully, producing insightful, personal analyses of Inuit artwork, including Kiugak Ashoona’s Woman with Ulu Knife (1967).
Leanne was enthusiastic to join her cohort of Ilinniaqtuit within the Inuit Futures project, working and developing careers as upcoming leaders in the arts. She speaks highly of Inuit Futures, saying it has “changed her life” and truly allowed her to envision a career in the arts. Leanne hopes to continue her arts education and, of course, she is excited to be part of the Inuit Futures community along the way, learning from mentors, artists, curators, and fellow Ilinniaqtuit.
Leanne Inuarak-Dall, Qittianituu (2019), mixed media, 61 x 65 cm. Collection of the artist.
Leanne Inuarak-Dall, Qittianituu (2019), mixed media, 61 x 65 cm. Collection of the artist.