Inuit art
Encyclopedia
Inuit art refers to artwork
produced by Inuit people, that is, the people of the Arctic
previously known as Eskimo
s, a term that is now often considered offensive outside Alaska
. Historically their preferred medium was walrus ivory
, but since the establishment of southern markets for Inuit art in 1945, prints
and figurative works carved in relatively soft stone such as soapstone
, serpentinite
, or argillite
have also become popular.
Around 4000 BCE
nomads known as the Pre-Dorset
or the Arctic small tool tradition
(ASTT) crossed over the Bering Strait
from Siberia
into Alaska, the Canadian Arctic
, Greenland
, and Newfoundland. Very little remains of them, and only a few preserved artifacts carved in ivory could be considered works of art. The Dorset culture
, which became culturally distinct around 600 BCE, produced a significant amount of figurative art
in the mediums of walrus ivory, bone, caribou antler, and on rare occasion stone. Subjects included birds, bears, walruses, seals, and human figures, as well as remarkably small masks. The Dorsets depicted bears and other animals in ivory with lines indicating their skeletal system incised on the surface of the ivory; bears in such a style are known as "flying bears". These items had a magical or religious significance, and were either worn as amulets to ward off evil spirits, or used in shamanic rituals
.
, ancestors of today's Inuit, migrated from northern Alaska and either displaced or slaughtered the earlier Dorset inhabitants. Thule art had a definite Alaskan influence, and included utilitarian objects such as combs, buttons, needle cases, cooking pots, ornate spears and harpoons. The graphic decorations incised on them were purely ornamental, bearing no religious significance, but to make the objects used in everyday life appealing.
All of the Inuit utensils, tools and weapons were made by hand from natural materials: stone, bone, ivory, antler, and animal hides. Nomad
ic people could take very little else with them besides the tools of their daily living; non-utilitarian objects were also carved in miniature so that they could be carried around or worn, such as delicate earrings, dance masks
, amulets, fetish figures, and intricate combs and figures which were used to tell legends and objectify their mythology
and oral history
.
In the 16th century the Inuit began to barter with European whaler
s, missionaries
and other visitors to the North for tea, weapons or alcohol. Items previously produced as decorative tools or shamanic
amulets, such as carvings of animals and hunting or camping scenes, became trade commodities. Inuit artists also began producing ivory miniatures specifically as trade goods, to decorate European rifles, tools, boats, and musical instruments. Cribbage boards and carved walrus
and narwhal
tusks were intended for the whalers. Missionaries encouraged the use of Christian imagery
, which was accepted to a limited extent.
began to encourage a carving industry as a source of income for the Inuit. The art changed markedly from the form which prevailed in the past, in size, media, motif, and style.
The Government of Canada
's encouragement of commercial carving was initially heavy-handed, as is most clearly shown by the pamphlet "Eskimo Handicrafts", circulated among Inuit communities in the early 1950s. Intended to provide inspiration to Inuit sculptors, this pamphlet depicted artifacts in the collection of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
; many of the objects pictured, such as totem pole
s, were not germane to Inuit culture
.
James Archibald Houston, the author of Eskimo Handicrafts, was later sent to Baffin Island
to collect specimens of Inuit sculpture. During his stay there, he introduced printmaking to the artists' repertoire. Figures of animals and hunters, family scenes, and mythological imagery became popular. By the 1960s, co-operatives were set up in most Inuit communities, and the Inuit art market began to flourish.
Since the early 1950s, when Inuit graphic styles were being developed, some Inuit artists have adopted a polished style rooted in naturalism. Other artists, such as John Pangnark
, have developed a style that is highly abstract
. Both styles are generally used to depict traditional beliefs or animals.
Stone is an unusual choice for block printing, but its availability and the fact that the printmakers were often carvers familiar with the stone made it a good choice.
During the mid-1980s one of the printmakers, Iyola, who owned a pool hall, experimented with slate made for pool tables and since that time this type of slate has been used for printmaking. Prior to that, stone from the region including steatite and talc stone were used.
The final print is a collaboration between the printer/stone carver and the artist. The printer makes some artistic decisions regarding the final product. For example, if the original drawing has a lot of thin lines or intricacies, the printer/carver must alter the drawing in order to make it possible to carve it into stone. Specific aspects of the drawing may be altered in order to fit onto the stone. In one instance the neck of a duck had to be shortened, in another only a portion of the artist’s original drawing was selected for reproduction.
Inuit continue to carve pieces entirely by hand. Power tool
s are occasionally used, but most artists prefer to use an axe and file, as this gives them more control over the stone. The final stage of carving is the polishing, which is done with several grades of waterproof sandpaper, and hours and hours of rubbing. The most common material is now steatite, or soapstone, either deposits from the Arctic, which range from black to light green in color, or orange-red imports from Brazil.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery
in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
claims to have the largest collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world.
In 2007, the Museum of Inuit Art
opened in Toronto
, Ontario
a sure sign of the art form's established place in the world of contemporary art.
Work of art
A work of art, artwork, art piece, or art object is an aesthetic item or artistic creation.The term "a work of art" can apply to:*an example of fine art, such as a painting or sculpture*a fine work of architecture or landscape design...
produced by Inuit people, that is, the people of the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
previously known as Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
s, a term that is now often considered offensive outside Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Historically their preferred medium was walrus ivory
Walrus ivory
Walrus tusk ivory comes from two modified upper canines. The tusks of a Pacific walrus may attain a length of one meter. Walrus teeth are also commercially carved and traded. The average walrus tooth has a rounded, irregular peg shape and is approximately 5cm in length.The tip of a walrus tusk has...
, but since the establishment of southern markets for Inuit art in 1945, prints
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
and figurative works carved in relatively soft stone such as soapstone
Soapstone
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs in the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx...
, serpentinite
Serpentinite
Serpentinite is a rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals. Minerals in this group are formed by serpentinization, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle...
, or argillite
Argillite
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock composed predominantly of indurated clay particles. Argillaceous rocks are basically lithified muds and oozes. They contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles. The argillites grade into shale when the fissile layering typical of shale is...
have also become popular.
The Pre-Dorset and Dorset cultures
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
nomads known as the Pre-Dorset
Pre-Dorset
The "Pre-Dorset culture" was a Paleo-Eskimo culture that lived in the Eastern Arctic from 2500 to 500 BC....
or the Arctic small tool tradition
Arctic small tool tradition
The Arctic Small Tool tradition is a broad cultural entity that developed along the Alaska Peninsula, round Bristol Bay, and on the eastern shores of the Bering Strait around 2500 BC...
(ASTT) crossed over the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
from Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
into Alaska, the Canadian Arctic
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, and Newfoundland. Very little remains of them, and only a few preserved artifacts carved in ivory could be considered works of art. The Dorset culture
Dorset culture
The Dorset culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture that preceded the Inuit culture in Arctic North America. It has been defined as having four phases, with distinct technology related to the people's hunting and tool making...
, which became culturally distinct around 600 BCE, produced a significant amount of figurative art
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
in the mediums of walrus ivory, bone, caribou antler, and on rare occasion stone. Subjects included birds, bears, walruses, seals, and human figures, as well as remarkably small masks. The Dorsets depicted bears and other animals in ivory with lines indicating their skeletal system incised on the surface of the ivory; bears in such a style are known as "flying bears". These items had a magical or religious significance, and were either worn as amulets to ward off evil spirits, or used in shamanic rituals
Shamanism among Eskimo peoples
Shamanism among Eskimo peoples refers to those aspects of the various Eskimo cultures that are related to the shamans’ role as a mediator between people and spirits, souls, and mythological beings...
.
Ipiutak cuture
The Ipiutak culture seems to represent a classical period of Inuit development. The artwork is extremely elaborate, incorporating geometric, animal, and anthropomorhic designs.The Thule culture
Around 1000 CE, the people of the Thule cultureThule people
The Thule or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit. They developed in coastal Alaska by AD 1000 and expanded eastwards across Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. In the process, they replaced people of the earlier Dorset culture that had previously inhabited the region...
, ancestors of today's Inuit, migrated from northern Alaska and either displaced or slaughtered the earlier Dorset inhabitants. Thule art had a definite Alaskan influence, and included utilitarian objects such as combs, buttons, needle cases, cooking pots, ornate spears and harpoons. The graphic decorations incised on them were purely ornamental, bearing no religious significance, but to make the objects used in everyday life appealing.
All of the Inuit utensils, tools and weapons were made by hand from natural materials: stone, bone, ivory, antler, and animal hides. Nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic people could take very little else with them besides the tools of their daily living; non-utilitarian objects were also carved in miniature so that they could be carried around or worn, such as delicate earrings, dance masks
Masks among Eskimo peoples
Masks among Eskimo peoples served a variety of functions. Masks were made out of driftwood, animal skins, bones and feathers. They were often painted using bright colors...
, amulets, fetish figures, and intricate combs and figures which were used to tell legends and objectify their mythology
Inuit mythology
Inuit mythology has many similarities to the religions of other polar regions. Inuit traditional religious practices could be very briefly summarised as a form of shamanism based on animist principles....
and oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
.
Historic period
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
s, missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and other visitors to the North for tea, weapons or alcohol. Items previously produced as decorative tools or shamanic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
amulets, such as carvings of animals and hunting or camping scenes, became trade commodities. Inuit artists also began producing ivory miniatures specifically as trade goods, to decorate European rifles, tools, boats, and musical instruments. Cribbage boards and carved walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
and narwhal
Narwhal
The narwhal, Monodon monoceros, is a medium-sized toothed whale that lives year-round in the Arctic. One of two living species of whale in the Monodontidae family, along with the beluga whale, the narwhal males are distinguished by a characteristic long, straight, helical tusk extending from their...
tusks were intended for the whalers. Missionaries encouraged the use of Christian imagery
Christian art
Christian art is sacred art produced in an attempt to illustrate, supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity, though other definitions are possible. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, although some have had strong objections to some forms of...
, which was accepted to a limited extent.
Since 1945
Traditionally, the Inuit carved objects for decoration, use in games, religious purposes, or self-amusement. However the nature and functions of Inuit carvings changed rapidly after contact with white society. This change accelerated after around 1949, when the Inuit began setting into communities, and the Canadian governmentGovernment of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
began to encourage a carving industry as a source of income for the Inuit. The art changed markedly from the form which prevailed in the past, in size, media, motif, and style.
The Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
's encouragement of commercial carving was initially heavy-handed, as is most clearly shown by the pamphlet "Eskimo Handicrafts", circulated among Inuit communities in the early 1950s. Intended to provide inspiration to Inuit sculptors, this pamphlet depicted artifacts in the collection of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
; many of the objects pictured, such as totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
s, were not germane to Inuit culture
Inuit culture
Inuit describes the various groups of indigenous peoples who live in the central and northeastern Canadian Arctic, as well as in Greenland. The term culture of the Inuit, therefore, refers primarily to these areas; however, parallels to other Eskimo groups can also be drawn.The traditional...
.
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
to collect specimens of Inuit sculpture. During his stay there, he introduced printmaking to the artists' repertoire. Figures of animals and hunters, family scenes, and mythological imagery became popular. By the 1960s, co-operatives were set up in most Inuit communities, and the Inuit art market began to flourish.
Since the early 1950s, when Inuit graphic styles were being developed, some Inuit artists have adopted a polished style rooted in naturalism. Other artists, such as John Pangnark
John Pangnark
John Pangnark was an Inuit sculptor and native of Arviat, Nunavut. His work is notable for its frequent use of geometric abstraction and its nearly exclusive focus on the human figure. His work is in the collections of the Dennos Museum Center and the National Gallery of Canada.-External links:* -...
, have developed a style that is highly abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
. Both styles are generally used to depict traditional beliefs or animals.
Stone is an unusual choice for block printing, but its availability and the fact that the printmakers were often carvers familiar with the stone made it a good choice.
During the mid-1980s one of the printmakers, Iyola, who owned a pool hall, experimented with slate made for pool tables and since that time this type of slate has been used for printmaking. Prior to that, stone from the region including steatite and talc stone were used.
The final print is a collaboration between the printer/stone carver and the artist. The printer makes some artistic decisions regarding the final product. For example, if the original drawing has a lot of thin lines or intricacies, the printer/carver must alter the drawing in order to make it possible to carve it into stone. Specific aspects of the drawing may be altered in order to fit onto the stone. In one instance the neck of a duck had to be shortened, in another only a portion of the artist’s original drawing was selected for reproduction.
Inuit continue to carve pieces entirely by hand. Power tool
Power tool
A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labour used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used...
s are occasionally used, but most artists prefer to use an axe and file, as this gives them more control over the stone. The final stage of carving is the polishing, which is done with several grades of waterproof sandpaper, and hours and hours of rubbing. The most common material is now steatite, or soapstone, either deposits from the Arctic, which range from black to light green in color, or orange-red imports from Brazil.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg Art Gallery
The Winnipeg Art Gallery is a public art gallery that was founded in 1912. It is Western Canada's oldest civic gallery and the 6th largest in the country...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
claims to have the largest collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world.
In 2007, the Museum of Inuit Art
Museum of Inuit Art
The Museum of Inuit Art, located within the historic Queens Quay Terminal at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, is Canada’s only public museum south of the Arctic to be devoted exclusively to Inuit art and culture...
opened in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
a sure sign of the art form's established place in the world of contemporary art.
Notable Inuit artists
- Germaine ArnaktauyokGermaine ArnaktauyokGermaine Arnaktauyok is an Inuit artist from Igloolik.Her artistic output consists of lithographs, etchings, and serigraphs that illustrate Inuit myths and traditional ways of life...
- Aron of KangeqAron of KangeqAron of Kangeq was a Greenland Inuit hunter, painter, and oral historian. His paintings are noted for their depiction of Inuit culture and history. His storytelling is known to children's literature in Greenland....
- Kenojuak AshevakKenojuak AshevakKenojuak Ashevak, is regarded as one of the most notable Canadian pioneers of modern Inuit art.-Life:Kenojuak Ashevak was born in an igloo in an Inuit camp, Ikirasaq, at the southern coast of Baffin Island. At three years old, she lost her father. In 1952, she had to be treated for three years...
- Pitseolak Ashoona
- Alootook IpellieAlootook IpellieAlootook Ipellie was an Inuit illustrator and writer. He specialized in black and white line drawings and illustrations. He is survived by his daughter, Taina Ipellie.-Publications:-External links:***...
- Osuitok IpeeleeOsuitok IpeeleeOsuitok Ipeelee was an Inuit sculptor who lived in Cape Dorset, Nunavut. His sculptures in green soapstone of caribou and birds are particularly esteemed for their balance and delicacy...
- Helen KalvakHelen KalvakHelen Kalvak, CM was a Copper Inuit graphic artist from Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada.-Early years:...
- Simeonie KeenainakSimeonie KeenainakSimeonie Keenainak is an Inuit accordionist and retired RCMP officer from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada. He is also a photographer and hunter. He has performed at the Pangnirtung Music Festival and was featured in regional and national media for his musicianship and cultural community...
- Floyd KuptanaFloyd KuptanaFloyd Kuptana is an Inuit sculptor born in the former settlement at Cape Parry and moved to nearby Paulatuk, Northwest Territories, Canada. He began his career as an apprentice to fellow sculptor David Ruben Piqtoukun. He has produced his own work since leaving the apprenticeship in 1992, and now...
- Andy MikiAndy MikiAndy Miki was an Inuit artist from Arviat, Nunavut.His works are mainly in soapstone, and are often geometric abstractions.While the abstract work of John Pangnark focused on the human figure, Miki's work abstracted animals, often to such a degree that only by the title could weasels and bears be...
- Jessie OonarkJessie OonarkJessie Oonark, OC was a Canadian Inuit artist who is best known for her wall hangings and her prints.-Biography :...
- John PangnarkJohn PangnarkJohn Pangnark was an Inuit sculptor and native of Arviat, Nunavut. His work is notable for its frequent use of geometric abstraction and its nearly exclusive focus on the human figure. His work is in the collections of the Dennos Museum Center and the National Gallery of Canada.-External links:* -...
- ParrParr (artist)Parr was an Inuit artist who lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle until 1961, when he settled in Cape Dorset because of declining health and a hunting accident....
- David Ruben PiqtoukunDavid Ruben PiqtoukunDavid Ruben Piqtoukun is an Inuit artist from Paulatuk, Northwest Territories. His output includes sculpture and prints; the sculptural work is innovative in its use of mixed media. His materials and imagery bring together modern and traditional Inuit stylistic elements in a personal vision...
- Peter PitseolakPeter PitseolakPeter Pitseolak was an Inuit photographer, artist and historian.-Life:]...
- Annie PootoogookAnnie PootoogookAnnie Pootoogook is a Canadian contemporary Inuit artist. Her influences include her mother, Napatchie Pootoogook , and her grandmother, Pitseolak Ashoona , both of whom were accomplished artists.-Artwork:Pootoogook began drawing in 1997, working with the disarmingly simple media...
- Kananginak PootoogookKananginak PootoogookKananginak Pootoogook , was an Inuk sculptor and printmaker who lived in Cape Dorset, Nunavut. He died as a result of complications related to surgery for lung cancer.-Biography:...
- Pudlo PudlatPudlo PudlatPudlo Pudlat , was a widely known Inuit artist whose preferred medium was a combination of acrylic wash and coloured pencils. His works are in the collections of most Canadian museums...
- Andrew QappikAndrew QappikAndrew Qappik is a Canadian Inuit graphic artist currently residing in Pangnirtung, Nunavut. Qappik is known for his printmaking and his contribution to the Nunavut Coat of arms....
- Pauta SailaPauta SailaPauta Saila was an Inuit artist from Kilaparutua, Baffin Island, Canada.His works were massive, simplified depictions of Arctic wildlife, and are mainly in soapstone. He resided in Cape Dorset, Nunavut.-References:...
- Nick SikkuarkNick SikkuarkNick Sikkuark is an Inuit artist from Kugaaruk, Nunavut.His works are mainly in whale bone, caribou antler, and walrus ivory, and are characterized by "droll, macabre wit"-Biography:...
- Joe TaliruniliJoe TaliruniliJoe Talirunili was an Inuit printmaker and sculptor, who would sometimes draw. There are two different places listed of where the artist was born, Qugaaluk River camp, Quebec, or 50 kilometers north of Puvirnituq in Nunavik Province, Quebec, at Neahungnik camp Another mystery is when the artist...
- Tanya Tagaq
- Irene Avaalaaqiaq TiktaalaaqIrene Avaalaaqiaq TiktaalaaqIrene Avaalaaqiaq Tiktaalaaq is an Inuit artist who was born at Princess Mary Lake near Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada. She moved to Baker Lake in 1958 to give birth to one of her children....
- John TiktakJohn TiktakJohn Tiktak was a Canadian Inuk sculptor who spent most of his artistic career in Rankin Inlet. Most of his sculptures take the human form as their subject.-Biography:...
- Simon TookoomeSimon TookoomeSimon Tookoome was an Utkusiksalingmiut Inuk artist. In his youth, Tookoome and other Utkusiksalingmiut lived along the Back River and in Gjoa Haven on King William Island...
- Natar UngalaaqNatar UngalaaqNatar Ungalaaq is a Canadian Inuit actor, filmmaker, and sculptor whose artwork is in many major collections of Inuit art worldwide...
See also
- Alaska Native artAlaska Native ArtAlaska Native cultures are rich and diverse, and their art forms are magnificent representations of their history, skills, tradition, adaptation, and nearly twenty thousand years of continuous life in some of the most remote places on earth. Yet these art forms are largely unseen and unknown...
- Arctic Experience McNaught GalleryArctic Experience McNaught GalleryThe Arctic Experience McNaught Gallery is an art gallery located in Hamilton, Ontario. It specializes in Inuit art and Canadian landscape paintings.-History:...
- Art Gallery of OntarioArt Gallery of OntarioUnder the direction of its CEO Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO embarked on a $254 million redevelopment plan by architect Frank Gehry in 2004, called Transformation AGO. The new addition would require demolition of the 1992 Post-Modernist wing by Barton Myers and Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg...
- InukshukInukshukAn inuksuk is a stone landmark or cairn built by humans, used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America. These structures are found from Alaska to Greenland...
- List of Inuit
- List of indigenous artists of the Americas
- Visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas