The Gentle Strength of Tegan Voisey’s Works

Earlier this month, folks in and outside Nunatsiavut celebrated the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Labrador and Inuit Land Claims Agreement, and to mark the occasion, I wore a pair of uluit earrings made by multidisciplinary artist Tegan Voisey. Hailing from Makkovik, Nunatsiavut, NL, Voisey’s practice includes jewellery, graphic and textile design, which she makes under her label, the Littlest Inuksuk. As we approach the heart of winter, my eyes yearn for darker tones amid the snow, and these three works by Voisey not only meet that desire but provide intricate examples of a gentle strength within femininity. 

Tegan Voisey Purple Tufted Amautik Earrings (2020) Caribou hair, acrylic, beads and moose hide © THE ARTIST

Because of the detail needed to make Purple Tufted Amautik Earrings (2020), I view the work as a love letter to arnait, women. The simple yet bold lines of the acrylic centrepiece easily identify the garment being honoured, and the lilac- and maroon-hued rows of beads accentuate the scooped hemline that is common across the Eastern Arctic. Voisey has beaded several iterations of this work featuring various colour palettes, and I was drawn to this pair because the shades of purple call to mind the warmth of late summer while picking blueberries. But my favourite aspect is the lavender-dyed caribou tufting at the top of each earring, which mimics the voluminous hoods designed to keep mother and child warm. 

Voisey’s Blue lightweight moon phase earrings with Inuit tattoos (2023) are part of another jewellery series, one that tracks the waxing and waning cycle of the moon. Each acrylic crescent, half and full moon depicts kakinrit in a pale white against the swirling mauve and turquoise background, which are akin to kiuryait, the northern lights in the Sallirmiutun dialect of Inuvialuktun. To me, the cycles of the moon linked together with metal fasteners represent how kakinrit bearers are connected across time and distance by our tattooed dots and lines. The recent appearance of red-hued kiuryait across North America this fall only heightens that impression, an experience shared between Inuit in our homelands and in the diaspora alike.

With her digital illustration Stitched but not broken (2025), Voisey portrays and dignifies being gentle with oneself as part of a healing process. The arnaq appears relaxed, enjoying the breeze tousling her hair; however, the vibrant magenta and mauve background gives a metaphysical aspect to the piece, as though she is among the cosmos rather than just standing outside. The full cross stitches detailing her head and neck—distinct from the chain stitches outlining her outfit and the blanket stitches edging the mauve background—are reminiscent of stitches for a wound. Yet the appearance of them throughout her hair, edging the ombre flowers, and even as curving white lines against the background signify a more metaphorical meaning, not just holding something together but someone. Echoing the cross stitches, the flowers appear to tack the background onto the figure, as though wrapping her in an embrace. Taken together, these elements call to mind the yearly promise of spring, the potential for growth after a season of rest.

If you enjoyed Voisey’s artworks, you might also like work by Eleanor Partridge, from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC; Mylena Idlout-Mullin, from Iqaluit, NU; and Lillian Putulik Chevrier, based in Montreal, QC.

This Artist Spotlight originally appeared in the December 2025 Inuit Art Quarterly newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here and be the first to receive new spotlights!