July 30 to september 12, 2026

List of artworks available soon

Thomas Whiteley (ᑖᒥᓴ)

Presented within the context of the 36th edition of the Festival International Présence Autochtone, La Guilde proudly presents QAMUTIK, the début solo exhibition from Kuujjuaq-based artist Thomas Whiteley. This exhibition celebrates inuit dog sledding and the ingenuity behind the design of the “qamutik”, the traditional inuit dog sled. More than a means of transportation, the qamutik is a symbol of freedom, prosperity and autonomy. It represents a beautiful partnership between a man and his dogs. It reminds of a time when inuit had full sovereignty over their way of life. Decades after the dog slaughter in Nunavik, the persisting “qimutsik” (dog sledding) tradition displays the resilience of the inuit culture.

According to approximately 200 reports made by Nunavik Inuit, a series of dog slaughters were undertaken […] by Canada and Quebec government officials or their representatives in several Nunavik communities from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. (Makivvik)

During this period more than 1000 dogs were fatally shot in Nunavik and Nunavut. The slaughter brought about food and economic insecurity and created a drastic change in the way of life of Inuit ever since.

While the close bond between Inuit and their dogs was threatened, it is far from erased. For his début exhibition in Montréal, Thomas Whiteley highlights the revitalization of dogsledding through printmaking and woodwork. His immersive installation profoundly examines the qamutik’s capacity as a vehicle for the transmission of knowledge, land-based innovation, and cultural continuance; and as a lasting, concrete symbol of autonomy and well-being for both the human and canine populations of Nunavik.

Text by Thomas Whiteley et Katsitsanoron Dumoulin-Bush

Vernissage : Thursday July 30, 5:30 p.m.

BIOGRAPHY

Thomas Whiteley is a printmaker from Kuujjuaq, QC. Though he always had an interest in art, it was only in 2024 that he began devoting himself more seriously to printmaking. After attending a three-week-long training with professional artist Nadine Bariteau in Kuujjuaq, he acquired additional tools and techniques to develop his art practice. Since then, Whiteley has created a great number of prints. His work has been displayed in many galleries, such as Tivi Gallery (Kuujjuaq), La Guilde (Montreal) and Campbell River Art Gallery (B.C.), and is part of an institutional collection. He was also the recipient of the Canada Arts Council Grant.

His work as a pilot for Air Inuit continues to fuel his artistic inspiration by offering him a unique perspective on northern landscapes and Inuit culture. Today, Whiteley specializes in woodcut engraving and linocutting. He remains dedicated to representing his northern way of life, modern Inuit culture, and his relationship with the land and animals.

About Land inSights

LAND InSIGHTS is the driving force behind the Montreal International First Peoples Festival, a multidisciplinary artistic and cultural event that makes Montreal the nerve centre of Indigenous creativity from the three Americas for ten days in August. Three strategic objectives were set upon their foundation in 1990: create a major First Nations festival in Montreal, commemorate and remember the Great Peace of Montreal 1701 upon its tricentennial, and secure a permanent home for First Cultures in Québec’s metropolis. Mission: Link the artistic and cultural renaissance of First Peoples to the cultural dynamics of a major metropolis within a sustainable development perspective based on friendship between peoples, diversity of sources of expression as a collective cultural wealth to share and recognition of the specificity of First Nations.