Barry Pottle

Barry Pottle is an Inuk artist originally from Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, NL now living in Ottawa, ON. He has worked with the Indigenous arts community for many years particularly in the city of Ottawa. Pottle has always been interested in photography as a medium of artistic expression and as a way of exploring the world around him. Living in Ottawa, which has the largest urban population of Inuit outside the North, Pottle has been able to stay connected to the greater Inuit community. Through the camera’s lens, Pottle showcases the uniqueness of this community. Whether it is at a cultural gathering, family outings or the solitude of nature that photography allows, he captures the essence of Inuit life in Ottawa.

From a regional perspective, living in the Nation’s Capital allows him to travel throughout the valley and beyond to explore and photograph people, places and events. He believes that the concept of Urban Inuit is relatively new and for the most part unexplored (compared to other Urban Indigenous groups in Canada) so as an artist, he seeks to articulate this. “The camera,” he shares, “allows me to explore connection and continuity with my heritage and culture especially with regards to the contemporary reality of being an Urban Inuk.”

Pottle’s artwork has been featured in exhibitions in Canada and in the United States and his photos have been published in a variety of books and magazines including the Inuit Art Quarterly, Inuktitut Magazine, and Makivik Magazine. He has also contributed images to a number of community initiatives.