Nicotye Samayualie facts for kids

Nicotye Samayualie (born 1983) is a talented Inuk artist from Kinngait, Nunavut, Canada. She is known for her amazing drawings of everyday things and beautiful landscapes. Nicotye often creates very large drawings to show the wide-open spaces of the Cape Dorset area.

Nicotye's Early Life

Nicotye Samayualie was born in 1983 in a place called Cape Dorset, which is now known as Kinngait, Nunavut. Art runs in her family! Her parents are Kudluajuk Ashoona and Johnny Tunnillie Samayualie. Her sister, Padloo Samayualie, is also an artist. Even her grandmother, Keeleemeeoomee Samayualie, was a graphic artist. Nicotye is also a cousin of the well-known artist Annie Pootoogook.

Her Art Journey

Nicotye started creating art when she was in her early twenties. She loves to draw the landscapes around Cape Dorset. She also finds inspiration in simple, everyday items. Imagine drawing buttons, shelves in a pantry, or even camping gear! These are some of the interesting things she brings to life in her art.

Her artwork has been shown in famous places like the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Her first group art show was called "A New Perspective" in 2011. She had her very first solo show, "Nicotye Samayualie," in 2015. Both of these shows were at Feheley Fine Arts in Toronto.

In 2014, Nicotye was invited to be an artist at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik. In 2016, she was chosen for a special art program at the Banff Centre. This program helped artists from the North and South exchange ideas.

Where You Can See Her Art

Nicotye Samayualie's artwork is part of several important art collections. You can find her pieces at the National Gallery of Canada, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Selected Art Shows

Nicotye's art has been featured in many exhibitions. Here are some of them:

• 2019: Kinngait Studios Returns, Highpoint Center for Printmaking
• 2019: Tavvauna / Here It Is: Drawings from Cape Dorset, Studio 22 (Kingston, ON)
• 2018: Toronto International Art Fair, Metro Toronto Convention Centre (Toronto, ON)
• 2018: The Samayualie Sisters, Feheley Fine Arts (Toronto, ON)
• 2017: New Drawings: Kudluajuk Ashoona, Padloo Samayualie and Nicotye Samayualie, The Inuit Gallery of Vancouver (Vancouver, BC)
• 2016: Culture Shift: Challenging Identity, La Guilde
• 2015: Nicotye Samayualie, Feheley Fine Arts (Toronto, ON)
• 2015: Plants, Objects, Landscapes: Drawings by Nicotye Samayualie, Marion Scott Gallery
• 2013: The Hand of the Artist, Feheley Fine Arts (Toronto, ON)
• 2012: The Unexpected, Feheley Fine Arts (Toronto, ON)