MAlaya kisa-knickelbein 

Malaya Kisa-Knickelbein (they/she) is a young Inuk artist and curator born in Iqaluit, Nunavut and raised across the three regions of Nunavut. They showcase their culture through art, an essential thread running through their practice, as they continue a family history of artists, printmakers, and seamstresses from Pangnirtung, Nunavut. Malaya is both self-taught and community-taught, with a multidisciplinary practice that includes beadwork, traditional hand-poke tattooing, digital art, printmaking and glass etching. Their work is supported by family knowledge, lived experience, and the diverse craft techniques learned throughout their education, blending contemporary approaches with traditional Inuit imagery and material practices. Dedicated to developing a distinct artistic voice, Malaya’s work explores identity, kinship, land, and cultural continuity, often engaging with layered experiences of selfhood and belonging. Their practice is grounded in care, storytelling, and self-determination, creating space for reflection, visibility, and connection. They aspire to use their artistic production to support and fundraise for community-based programs and initiatives. Malaya has been supported by and involved with organizations including the Inuit Art Foundation (IAF) and Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership, and participated in Amisut, an exhibition at La Guilde in Montréal highlighting contemporary Inuit printmaking and illustration beyond traditional cooperative systems. They have also engaged in curatorial and writing practices through the Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA), contributing to exhibition development and critical reflection on Inuit visual culture. Malaya was included as an exhibiting artist at Pique’s summer arts festival in Ottawa, presenting work as part of ᐃᔨᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ / ᑕᑯᓯᒪᔪᑦ (We Were Hidden / We Are Seen) a group exhibition bringing together Indigenous and Inuit artists to explore themes of visibility, presence, and Inuit identities beyond the gender binary within the festival’s public art programming. In their spare time, Malaya enjoys spending time on the land with family and friends, learning new artistic techniques, and practicing their Inuktitut.

@ikirasaq