Unmasking Identity mask

Taalrumiq’s handcrafted mask, made from traditional Inuit and modern materials, honours the past, present, and future of the Inuvialuit people. The work is inspired by the spring ice fishing season in her ancestral homeland in the Northwest Territories of Canada; each element is symbolic. The stark cracks that form in the ice create a beautiful contrast between the white snow and the dark blue waters. Taalrumiq says: “To this day, our cultural values include respect and love for the land; tied intricately to our identity as modern Inuvialuit.”

Taalrumiq (Christina King), Inuvialuk artist, Canada

2021

Designed in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada, currently a guest on Lheidlii T’enneh traditional territory, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada

Made in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada, currently a guest on Lheidlii T’enneh traditional territory, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada

Sealskin, fox fur, wolverine fur, polar bear fur, leather, reindeer antler, caribou fur, ptarmigan feathers, duck feathers, fish vertebrae, dentalia, sterling silver filigree cones, Swarovski crystal bicones, glass seed, rondelle and bicone beads, black curb chain, fabric, sequins

Royal Ontario Museum
2021.72.1, Generously supported by the Susan Joan Greenberg Fund

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