Jessie Kaludjak (1969- )
Arviat, Nunavut
2009
28" x 26.5"

In the artist's own words:

"I have named each of the two beadwork panel wallhangings I have done in honour of my two eldest children. I made Gabai's Dream remembering a dream she told me excitedly about one morning after she awoke. She said that she had been dreaming she was flying with a handful of balloons. The hearts beadwork indicates my love for her. The design below the balloons represents braids.

These panels were originally on my daughter's amauti, which was used for special occassions only, such as photo ops or community celebrations. Kirsten (my eldest daughter) entered hers in a heritage fair in grade 4 and won first place.

What my mother and grandmother taught me about beaded amautis is that when you are making one, the designs should be indicative of the recipient. Also the colour on the fringes indicate whose daughter/granddaughter/great granddaughter, etc. you are. Even the number of beads that hang. So on the panels, I proudly put my grandmother's colours. My grandmother on my mother's side was Padlirmiut and my grandmother on my father's side was Qairnirmiut.

As you can probably notice, I use mostly curves or circles. It is slightly harder to make perfect circles using beads than it is to make straight lines or work with corners while beading so I love the challenge of making perfect curves.

I was born right here in Arviat. I learned to sew outerwear from my late mother. Beadworking I learned to do from watching my mother, grandmother (Margaret Uyauperk Aniksak) and advice from my cousin Joy Suluk.

The first fully beaded amauti I made in 1997 (which my eldest daughter will inherit) has been photographed a few times and has won a few Traditional Clothing contests here and once in Northern Quebec. I am working on a second one and will make one for each of my daughters, 5 daughters in total. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law also taught me how to make sealskin kamiks."

Embroidery stitches used in addition to extensive beadworking: satin and zigzag backstitch.