Heather Carroll - Uquuqu
Mixed Media, Print
The Inuit child has a name for animals, ALL animals, great and small: UQUUQU. All creatures, each with a quality, a personality, a magic of their own. All creatures, great and small...
The images I wish to submit for the exhibition: ANIMALIA, are depictions of the animals we live with throughout the year in Nunatsiavut (our beautiful land), Canada. Honouring the creatures that inhabit the big land, our hearts and our collective spirit. They still feed and clothe us, they honour the wolf who in turn keeps the herds strong and we honour them in return. The hunt to survive. UQUUQU...
In other parts of the world, animals are raised in obscene conditions, they are slaughtered in horrendous numbers and their flesh wasted without conscience. We drive wild animals into the oblivion of extinction by raping the land beneath them then place a few survivors in zoos to salve our conscience.
UQUUQU
My works are collotypes printed on linen paper mounted on felt using a blanket stitch typically used by the Inuit. Two of the eight works submitted are stencils printed on Japanese paper and mounted on canvas. They are tributes to the magical creatures that still grace us with their presence.