Artist Feature: Taalrumiq
Taalrumiq in her home in Tuktuuyaqtuuq
Taalrumiq describes herself as an Inuvialuk artist, fashion designer, cultural educator and content creator. Her primary works involve sewing using traditional materials like sealskin, furs, and antlers which she combines with modern materials - fabrics, leathers, sequins, beads, crystals and more.
“My main focus is sewing and creating original fine art pieces,” she explains. I create modern Inuit adornment, garments, original one-of-a-kind couture pieces that are high-end and hand-crafted made by me.”
Sealskin earrings and pins handmade and designed by Taalrumiq
Her creativity extends beyond fashion into other mediums. From painting to filming Tiktoks, bringing her passion for art and storytelling to different forms of expression is something she believes comes naturally to many Inuvialuit.
“We’re really seeing a resurgence in artwork - taking our old traditional skills that we inherited from our grandparents and our ancestors to combine it with modern materials and modern techniques to try new things. Even to this day I still see the ingenious Inuit creativity in everything - not just what I’m doing, but in the whole community. We’ve always been willing to just try something and pick it up so quickly.”
Many people outside the community are familiar with Taalrumiq’s work as a designer using the name Christina King but, as an artist, Taalrumiq’s journey has been one of reclaiming her identity and relearning her claim to her space. That has meant deciding for herself where the modern world fits into her art and recognizing where she wants to learn more and go further.
“A big part of my work is encouraging people to reclaim their indigenous identity - to really be proud of being Inuvialuit in modern times. It’s amazing that our voices and our opinions, our stories and our culture are finally being valued, heard, appreciated and sought after. It’s really an amazing time.”
Source: @taalrumiq on Instagram
Taalrumiq’s work on digital platforms like Tiktok has been a significant part of her effort to reach out and provide more visibility to Inuvialuit ways of living. What started as a few videos for fun - showing traditional clothing she had made - quickly became a place for more representation for people in the Western Arctic.
“I tag everything with #Inuvialuit. That way if my children or youth in my community go looking for something Inuvialuit, they might see my video and recognize it. They’ll feel that feeling of ‘Hey, that’s from my culture.’”
With a global fan base, the positive responses she receives from the people she connects with are what keep her sharing what she loves with people - the stories, culture, history and point of view of Inuvialuit directly from the people of the community.
Taalrumiq believes Saliqmiut: Tuktuuyaqtuuq Centre for Arts and Culture is an amazing step for more representation of Inuvialuit art and culture, and one she thinks is long overdue. Having a dedicated space speaks to the centre’s importance in the community. It provides a space for people to teach and learn - to reclaim old skills and build new understandings, the way she has. That journey is important to the pride and sense of place in the community.
“It’s really important to have those spaces to be able to pass it on to the younger generations. Having a dedicated space will really allow for that.”
With the combination of a resurgence in visibility and interest, Taalrumiq sees potential for hosting visitors and tourists, trade shows, conferences, and artist residency programs at Saliqmiut: Tuktuuyaqtuuq Centre for Arts and Culture.
“I’ve worked to make a space for myself in this world. I really encourage youth and my community to feel they do belong here. I think this arts and cultural centre will enable us to embrace that and reconnect with who we are. We can move forward in a positive way that’s going to benefit us economically, culturally, spiritually and as a community - in all facets.”
For updates on her work, you can follow Taalrumiq on Instagram at @taalrumiq and on Facebook at @Taalrumiq.