Qanuqtuurniq «Ingénieux et innovant»

In 2015, Embassy of Imagination achieved an unprecedented mural during the Pan Am Games in downtown Toronto: a collaborative painting by four Cape Dorset youth and two Toronto youth artists, Alexa Hatanak and Patrick Thompson, which had a huge success.

Inspired by this project, MU invited these artists to come paint a mural in Montreal. The young Inuits Johnny Samayualie, Parr Josephee, Saaki Nuna, Tommy Quvianaqtuliaq and Salomonie Ashoona, along with the two young artists from Toronto, came here in Montreal to produce this very special mural. The mural Qanuqtuurniq «Ingénieux et innovant» aims to create exchanges between Canadian cities and communities, as well as to have as much impact as possible on the young artists lives. The mural is located at the Habitations Coupal, in the Centre-Sud neighbourhood. Citizens of the Habitations were consulted in order to chose which of the artists’ three design would be produced on the wall.

The imaginary and the drawings constituting the mural are from the young Nunavummiuts, who are all aged between 13 and 17 years old. Alexa Hatanaka and Patrick Thompson are responsible of the final composition and the layout of the drawings in order to give the whole painting unity and a narrative meaning. The aesthetic, the inspiration and the meaning of the mural reflect the interests, preoccupations and the experiences of the young Nunavummiuts and of the current young generation.

Aidan Price-Bottenberg et Seayenna Lee assisted the artists throughout the production of the mural.