Curated by Jan Gary & Debbie Brown

January 17 - February 10, 2023

The influence that Japanese culture had on the art world extends further than one would expect. In our experience as art and history students, Japanese prints are often associated with Impressionist art; this exhibition focuses on the importance of these prints on Inuit art. The web that connects the art of Japanese printmaking to the Inuit people of Cape Dorset, Canada was formed by European artist James Houston. After his service in World War II, Houston moved to Canada where the Inuit people’s fur trade profits were dwindling. Inuit art at this time included sculptures, crafts made by hand, and Inuit motifs appliqued onto animal skins. Having experienced the profitability of Japanese printmaking during his college years, Houston taught the technique to Inuit artists in 1957 to help them form a more secure means of financial development and established what has now become a significant characteristic of the Inuit culture.

Ink Link compares the assorted styles and representations found in both Japanese and Inuit prints from the Meadows Museum of Art’s collection. All of the pieces were created using similar printing techniques such as woodblock print, stone print, and lithograph. Through examining these works, relations of symmetry, content, and cultural representation shine through. This often-overlooked correlation between the Japanese and Inuit people highlights the diversity in the art world, the positive effects that introductions to other cultures can have on communities, and the links that can be made between them.

Click each image below to learn more.