Experience Qillaniq: Celebrating Indigenous Circumpolar Art

A cluster of white fluffy decorations hanging from thin strings against a blue background, resembling clouds. — *Ukaliusat*, 2019. Arctic cotton grass, 200 × 150 × 150 cm. Courtesy of the artist Bolatta Silis-Høegh

Quillaniq is a groundbreaking exhibition showing contemporary artists from across the Arctic, the largest cicumpolar exhibition ever assembled.

A serene landscape featuring a campsite with a tent by a lake, surrounded by colorful mountains and a vibrant sunset sky. — Hannah Tooktoo, *Saimavik*, 2025. Acrylic on canvas, 121.9 × 152.4 cm. National Gallery of Canada.

Running through September, 2026, the exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada features works by more than 70 Indigenous artists from Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Siberia and Sápmi.

A coastal scene depicting a large pink and gray object on the beach, surrounded by crowds of people. Small boats are lined up along the shore, with a blue tarp laid out on the sand. — Megan Kyak-Monteith, *Whale Hunt: I Think Everyone is Here*, 2019. Video, 46 s.Indigenous Art Collection, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

Grounded in years of deep relationship-building across the Arctic, this exhibition is an expression of radical joy and a celebration of ‘badass’ artists who challenge colonizing norms. In these fraught times, as the Arctic faces climate change and geopolitical upheaval, these incredible Inuit, First Nations, Sámi, and Native Alaskan artists remind us of the power of kinship – National Gallery of Canada

A mannequin displays a stylish, modern outfit consisting of a textured white top with a high collar and a layered design complemented by matching pants, showcasing intricate details and patterns. — *The White Out* (2014) by Greenlandic artist Lisbeth Karline Poulsen

Qillaniq (pronounced qeel-lah-NEEQ) is an Inuktitut word describing the way light from the sun or moon shimmers brightly as it reflects on water. This powerful concept serves as a metaphor for the “shine” of circumpolar Indigenous peoples resisting colonization, maintaining their deep connection to the land, and using art to bring the extraordinary into everyday life, the gallery says.

An art installation featuring two tall, slender sculptures resembling poles with branches, casting elongated shadows on the white wall. Nearby, smaller sculptures of deer antlers hang on wires. — Melaw Nakenk’o, *Midst Shift*, 2026. Caribou hide, antler, hair, hoof, beads, fur, metal wiring, 214.4 tall / and *Caribou Hands*, 2026, caribou hide, antler, beads, fabric, metal wiring, 30. 4 cm tall.

Melaw Nakehk’o (installation view, above) is just one example of the scope of artists in the exhibition. Born in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, she is an actress, artist, traditional moose hide tanner, and co-founder of the First Nations organization Dene Nahjo. She is also known for her role as the kidnapped Arikara woman Powaqa in the 2015 film The Revenant.

A collection of animal skulls arranged in a grid, showcasing various sizes and colors, hanging against a black backdrop. — Máret Ánne Sara, *Pile o’ Sápmi Supreme,* 2017. Reindeer skulls and metal, 303 × 500 × 25 cm. The National Museum, Oslo.

A centrepiece of the exhibition is a reimagined qaggiq, or gathering space; traditionally a large iglu. See video below. Inuk artist asinnajaq and Métis architect Tiffany Shaw have transformed it into a giant woven basket. It offers a welcoming space where visitors can rest and/pr engage with the provided films and books.

The works celebrated in the exhibition are multi-vocal, multidisciplinary and improvisational, inspired by values of Indigenous peoples contributing to community in as many ways as possible. They are blending intergenerational legacies with cutting-edge media to command the world’s attention, the gallery says.