Mary Paningajak: Art as Healing in Nunavik's Heart
Nunavik artist Mary Paningajak wins $15k award for her healing art, inspiring youth amid remote community challenges.
Art as Healing in Nunavik's Remote Community
Mary Paningajak, a 65-year-old artist from Ivujivik, has been named Northern Quebec's Artist of the Year by Quebec's Council of Arts and Letters. The $15,000 award recognizes her decades-long contribution to Nunavik's arts scene and her commitment to cultural healing through creative expression.
A Legacy of Artistic Inspiration
Growing up in Ivujivik, Paningajak learned from her father Tivi Paningajak, a renowned printmaker and sculptor. "He let me make my first screen print when I was nine," she recalls. Now, decades later, she continues to draw inspiration from Inuit history, personal experiences, and her community's traditions.
Overcoming Remote Challenges
Living in a community of just 412 people on the Ungava Peninsula's northern tip, Paningajak faces significant hurdles in accessing art supplies. "We only have one store, and it doesn't carry art materials," she explains. Despite this, her work has been showcased across Canada, including a solo exhibition at Montreal's Centre Sanaaq in May 2025.
Cultivating Future Artists
At the Path to 100 festival in Kuujjuaq, Paningajak led a printmaking workshop, teaching participants to carve designs into rubber plates and transfer them onto paper. "I hope some of them will be inspired to create more art," she shared. The festival, celebrating the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement's anniversary, provided a platform for Paningajak to connect with community members and envision Nunavik's future through art.
Her work embodies the power of art as a healing force, bridging generations and preserving cultural identity in one of Canada's most remote regions.