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Sarah Ayaqi Whalen - Lunn

@inkstitcher

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“Inupiaq hand-poke tattooer | Traditional & contemporary work | Prints + bookings ↓
Mohkinstsis YYC

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6 years ago today I sat in my house and drew this. I had no idea the impact that this piece would have on the world when I created it. I am humbled by the voice that it has grown to have.

This is the original posting

I recieved a email this morning that reminded me in the midst of my business and worry about family, that there are alot of strong, amazing, indigenous people here in Alaska working tirelessly to do better for our community. People looking to keep our people and land safe, planning, organizing, rallying. I feel horrible for being so caught up in my own world that I am unable to participate as much as I would like and that all I seem to be able to offer is drawings, but hopefully it’s something. Violence here is Alaska towards our indigenous women and girls has reached unthinkable levels, it is on my mind in almost all that I do. So, I try to make sense of it and call awareness to it thru art, it is my voice, and I offer it to you. Sometimes we get to comfortable in our lives and we need a reminder that so many don’t have that chance to live. Keep aware, fight hard and keep eachother safe ❤ for the people out there working with every breath, we see you and we thank you. Quyana by @inkstitcher

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a year ago

Wake me from the deep
Sing to me in the olds ways
So I can remember my name

Morning drawing in Chesterfield Inlet, in a little house, in stormy weather, by the sea
I hear you calling to me by @inkstitcher

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a year ago

A little look back at our time in Toronto for North of North: The Experience.

What a beautiful opportunity to share our work, our stories, and a little piece of home with so many people. There is something special about seeing Inuit stories celebrated and creating space for people to connect with our culture through art, conversation, and making.

We are grateful for the people we met, the conversations we shared, and everyone who stopped to spend a little time with us.

This video is especially meaningful to me because it was filmed, produced, and set to original music by my daughter, Sandia. I love seeing the experience through her eyes and watching her own creativity become part of the work we do together.

A little glimpse of our time together, from our family to yours. ❤️ @sandiarosawhalen @saiyu.tattoos

#NorthOfNorth #NorthOfNorthNetflix #InuitArt #InuitArtists #InuitCreatives Inkstitcher by @inkstitcher

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36 minutes ago

Another earring appreciation post.
Got to bust these ones out recently in Toronto and I am so glad I have chosen to keep them for shows and occasional crazy events.

My tears are gold because I bead them into our stories

Wet and needle felted wool, embroidered and beaded, backed with smoked hide. Fringe for days by @inkstitcher

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2 days ago

Sometimes I forget things I have done, lived thru, made. I’ve been in memory mode lately. Looking through old photographs and old work, and thinking about all the little threads that somehow carried me from there to here.
This was The Offering Place, 2015, part of Out of the Box, an Anchorage Museum intervention with other Indigenous artists.
I was thinking then about the things we don’t talk about. The things we carry quietly, sometimes for generations. About what might happen if we made a place to put some of it down.
The idea was that the more we talked, the more the box opened, and the more we could breathe.

I remember wanting my children to see me standing tall. I wanted them to know that the things we had lived through did not have to break us. That healing could be something we did out loud, together. That maybe our children could grow up seeing us do that work instead of inheriting all of our silence.
People came back to find me afterward. Some with tears. Some just needing to tell me what it had meant to be given a place to leave something they had carried for a long time.

I don’t think I understood yet how much that would shape me.

Looking at these photographs now, I recognize so much of myself and the work I would go on to make. Maybe we don’t always know what we are building while we are building it.

I still have the box.

And I still have every piece that was entrusted to me.
I am still grateful for all your trust in all of this work. by @inkstitcher

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5 days ago

Bodies that nourish life
Bodies that carry, feed, remember and continue
Life blood by @inkstitcher

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7 days ago

Fall things
partial harvest from my own back yard
Happiness by @inkstitcher

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7 days ago

I just want to take a minute to bask in the memory of the Wolf Mothers and talk about how much I miss them. I have only ever made 2 pairs and they both went to wonderful homes but since I miss them so much, I am going to put it out there that maybe this winter is the time to bead myself another pair to keep :)
What do you think? by @inkstitcher

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8 days ago

Some days are for drawing by @inkstitcher

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11 days ago

My love for you is softer,
quieter
Than the deep ocean of time between us,
Echoing our breath
Every tidal movement
Like the pull of the moon
Feels soft like
Your touch lingering still
in my heart

3 years ago? Who keeps track of time anymore? by @inkstitcher

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12 days ago

A Closer look at
The currents we carry ❤️

Our little Inuk lady in the prairies.

Five days painting her with Bowie in Mohkínstsis . Fish, water, stars and little pieces of home.
Thank you @calgaryartsdev and the City of Calgary for inviting us to leave our mark in the East Village.

Find her at 7th Ave SE & 4th St SE while she’s still standing.

More of us at @inkstitcher + @saiyu.tattoos

#InuitArt #IndigenousArt #Mohkinstsis #CalgaryArt #EastVillageYYC by @inkstitcher

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16 days ago

Go see our little Inuk lady in East Village area on 7th ave SE and 4th street SE.
@saiyu.tattoos Bowie and I worked hard and learned a lot painting this utility box for the community. Everyone who frequents the space was very welcoming to us and would come by daily to see her progress. We felt the love for the 5 days we were working on her ❤️
Bringing some water protection and fish kin to the prairies. by @inkstitcher

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17 days ago