An exhibition at Yellowknife’s Gallery on 47th Street is giving visitors a glimpse into the deeply personal stories behind the work of four Northwest Territories artists, encouraging them to reflect on their own inner worlds in the process.
Inner Landscapes, on display until July 15, features glass mosaics by Vicki Tompkins and Dot Van Vliet, an acrylic self-portrait by Lori Warren, and mixed-media cyanotypes by Kirsten Murphy.
While each artist works in different mediums, the exhibition is united by the memories, emotions and experiences that shape who we are.
The idea for the exhibition began nearly a decade ago, when Murphy encountered a quote by French filmmaker Agnès Varda: “If you opened people up, you’d see landscapes.”
“Right away I saw mine,” Murphy said. “I just kept that in the back of my mind.”
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Although Murphy spent years working as a photojournalist, she said she only recently felt ready to bring the concept to life. With support from an NWT Arts Council grant, she curated the exhibition while ensuring each artist retained ownership of their work through licensing agreements.
Beyond showcasing the artwork itself, Murphy wanted to create opportunities for artists whose work often goes unseen.
“There’s so much talent in this territory, and a lot of people fly under the radar,” she said. “It’s one thing to make a piece, to make a project, and then show it.”
She invited Warren, whom she met while living in Hay River, along with Yellowknife artists Tompkins and Van Vliet, whose work she admired but felt deserved a broader audience.
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That spirit of resilience and community is echoed in the exhibition’s foreword, written by arts advocate Winnie Cadieux. Cadieux’s gallery in Enterprise was destroyed during the 2023 Northwest Territories wildfires, but she writes that the experience only reinforced her belief in the importance of northern artists.
“While physical structures can crumble, the internal drive to create remains indestructible,” Cadieux writes. “Inner Landscapes is a testament to that unbreakable spirit.”
She describes the artists as “leaders, teachers, janitors, aunties, grammas and friends,” noting that art allows people to express themselves without explanation.
Murphy said Cadieux’s words helped her better understand her own work.
“I’m so grateful to Winnie,” she said. “I actually didn’t know what my piece was about until she looked at it and interpreted it. I thought ‘Oh yeah, it is about memory and grief.’”
Murphy hopes visitors leave the gallery inspired not only by the artwork on display, but by the possibility of sharing their own creative work.
“There are opportunities, and there are connections, and there is community,” she said. “I really hope this, in some ways, brings other under-the-radar artists together.”
She also hopes the exhibition can grow beyond Yellowknife in the future, bringing artists together from communities across the Northwest Territories.
