Nikita Larter is an Inuvialuk artist and designer based in Toronto, ON. Striving for accurate and contemporary Indigenous representation, Larter’s digital illustration practice focuses on portraiture, while pop culture inspires their beadwork. Their artwork has been featured in Tusaayaksat magazine and on imagineNATIVE merchandise.
Larter has been artistic from a young age; their earliest memory is winning a local drawing contest. “I was either four or six years old,” they recount, “My family always encouraged my artistic endeavours.” Now working professionally as a UX designer, Larter makes art in their own time, finding inspiration in other Indigenous artists who express and reconnect with their cultures. They cite Inuvialuk artist Kablusiak as a key influence for their contemporary take on Inuit art and Nunatsiavummiuk artist Billy Gauthier for his thoughtful imagery and dedication to craft.
Larter’s beadwork consists primarily of jewellery pieces that take the form of chokers, earrings, and pins. Their jewellery often incorporates vibrant colour palettes inspired by trends and figures in pop culture, while their digital illustrations aim to add an Inuvialuit lens to trends like #NDNArtober, an Indigenous-led drawing challenge during the month of October. They find a lot of joy in illustrating Indigenous peers, stating that the representational aspect of portraiture is important to them.
Larter’s artistic practice also includes digital photography and they have plans to become a miquqti (sewist) and tattooist in the future. Their poetry and digital illustration were published in Tusaayaksat in 2018 and 2020, and their digital photography was exhibited as part of the University of Waterloo’s Student Art Innovation Lab in 2018. “I’ve been fortunate to have people redirect me back to my art practice when I’m really distant from it,” Larter says. “Making art is something that has grounded me throughout my life.”