Mabel Nigiyok

Biography

The Uqqurmiut Centre houses the Pangnirtung Tapestry Studio (PTS) and is the chief vehicle through which the Uqqurmiut (the people of the leeside) carry out their mission to promote and preserve their local culture, and to foster the continued development of the artistic heritage of their community. The Pangnirtung weavers began their narrative journey in 1970 as part of the newly emerging cash economy of the modern Arctic. Tapestry brought the textural richness of the woven medium to Inuit pictorial storytelling adding new dimensions to the collective cultural voice. By adapting the skills of handwork and the trained eye of the maker to viewing the stories of their past, the Pangnirtung weavers keep them alive for future generations.