Johnny Inukpuk was another of the great Inuit tribe of Canadian artists. Inukpuk was born in the year 1911 in Kujjuarapik. He learned to carve whilst still living basically as a nomad, living off the land. The artist used the normal found materials such as steatite, antlers, and whalebones.
Saumik was the name the Inuit people gave to Jams Houston. Houston was a big promoter of the work of the Inuits and himself was a great artist working with the figure. He encouraged the Inuit people to learn art and promote their unique nomadic culture.
Inukpuk produced sculptures and produced one print that had to do with his life. That is the great thing that fascinates me with the work of the Inuits, its their everyday life that is portrayed so artistically. His print had to do with a hunting trip in which the Inukpuk was trapped inside an igloo with his rifle outside and three polar bears waiting outside. Much of his work as with most of the Inuits has to do with nomadic living and hunting, gathering, and riding in canoes. I love these works!
To any artist these works are fascinating alone for their mediums sometimes, the whalebone and antler pieces. Some other twists he used were portraying women with hare lips, his own wife had a hare lip. He even varied the eyes of his figures over time using soapstone, ivory, and melted vinyl records.
In this clip we see a wonderful sculpture by Johnny Inukpuk featured at Waddingtons auction house of Canada.
A work at actual auction. Get your paddle ready !
In 1973 was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
Price range information: The sculptures very in size as the artist worked very small in the beginning of his career. The range is $1,000 to $40,000.
Included in the Toronto Dominion Bank Financial Group collection.
Had one son that become known as a great artist working in the same Inuit method named Johnny Inukpuk Junior who lived 1930 to 1984. A great example of his son’s artwork is below.
Here is a short clip featuring the works of the son Johnny Inukpuk junior.
Johnny Inukpuk passed away in 2007.
Gotta love these families that can pass on art as a career to multiple generations!
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