La Guilde proudly presents QAMUTIK, the début solo exhibition from Kuujjuaq-based artist Thomas Whiteley, in partnership with the International First Peoples' Festival. 

Thomas Whiteley uses printmaking and woodwork to celebrate the ingenuity behind the design of the qamutik, the traditional inuit dogsled. His immersive installation examines the qamutik’s function as a vehicle for the transmission of knowledge, land-based innovation, and cultural continuance.

More than a means of transportation, the qamutik is a symbol of freedom, prosperity and autonomy. Decades after the dog slaughter in Nunavik, the persisting qimutsik (dog sledding) tradition is an activity of resilience within Inuit culture.

Therefore, the artist presents a version of the qamutik constructed from the plates used to produce the prints. A video of the qamutik in action also accompanies the installation.

Thomas Whiteley wishes to thank the Avataq Cultural Institute and Canada Council for the Arts for their support in the development of this project..