Catharsis in inuit art: A way to heal wounds

Contemporary Inuit Art is often perceived as either a romantic form of creation or a commercially aggressive industry. Yet it appears that art played more than a simple economic role in the Inuit history, and that a small percentage of the Arctic production, lesser-known to wide audiences, has been dealing with intimate as well as collective issues for the last twenty years. This article intends to reconsider the social impact of Inuit art, both at its beginnings in the 1950s and today. A selection of works by Inuit artists, who were subjected to trauma and tried to expel it through the creative process, will follow a reminder of the policies launched after the World War II by the federal government. The cathartic process itself and its intrinsic difficulties will also be considered. Art will finally be questioned as a way to untie tongues and create a dialogue towards healing.