Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona (Ukkusiksalingmiut / Inuit) is a multidisciplinary artist, ceramicist, printmaker, writer, and textile designer living and working in Ottawa. Her practice draws deeply on her family legacy — she is the granddaughter of celebrated artists Victoria Mamnguqsualuk and great-granddaughter of Jessie Oonark — and blends traditional Inuit visual storytelling with a contemporary, personal voice. Kabloona works across media: ceramics, prints, knitwear, graphic art and wall hangings, often re-interpreting traditional Inuit stories through feminist and modern lenses. She studied printmaking at the Ottawa School of Art and pottery at Loam Clay Studio, later transitioning into full-time art after a career as an urban planner. Her recent practice includes large-scale projects, among them a wall hanging produced during a Creative Research Residency with the Art Gallery of Guelph, where she re-engaged with her grandmother’s work in the museum’s collection - exploring legacy, cultural memory, and contemporary identity. In 2023 she was shortlisted for the prestigious Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award. Rooted in tradition yet boldly contemporary, Kabloona’s work confronts themes of identity, heritage, resilience, and renewal - offering fresh interpretations of Inuit visual language through clay, print, textile, and narrative form."This is an image I created of strong Inuit women - made even stronger by supporting and uplifting each other." “Aggat means ‘hand’ in Inuktitut. My work regularly features hands with traditional tattoos. I feel happiest when I’m creating and come from a legacy of skilled Inuit.”
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