David Ekootak, also spelled Ikutaaq, was another master Inuit sculptor from the Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada. Etootak enjoyed carving figures that often featured two heads. For instance a hunter with a bear head. Etootak also enjoyed portraying the daily activities of the Inuit.
David Etootak was born in the year 1929.
In this clip we view a work of an Inuit woman by David Ikutaaq. This is the title shown, but to me the work is of an Inuit man with a mustache!:
David Etootak passed away in 1984.
price range information: Works range from $4,000 to $25,000. Etootak worked with traditional materials such as caribou skin and wood to make the kayak. The artist carved with basalt in most of his sculpture work.
Miriam Maralik Qiyuk was born in the year 1933. She was born and raised in the traditional Inuit camp lifestyle of the era. In her twenties she decided to relocate to Baker Lake. Miriam Qiyuk has worked in various mediums including wall hangings, appliques, printmaking, and painting.
Her husband is also an artist named Silas Qiyuk. He was also born in 1933. This is probably my favorite work showing a grouping of seals. Seals are usually shown solo, or with a mother and some pups. This work by Silas Qiyuk is great for how many seals are shown in total:
Qiyuk is one of the most versatile Inuit artists, we can call her Mrs. Picasso! Qiyuk is a printmaker, maker of wall hangings, and sculptor. She is an amazing storyteller and enjoys working in very large formats.
Her father was the famous Inuit artist named Jessie Oonark.
Price range information: Works range from $2,000 to $10,000.
Mathew Aqigaaq was an Inuit sculptor born in the year 1940 in Kazan River Falls, Nunavut Territory, Canada in the year 1940. Aqigaaq would relocated to Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada for most of his artistic career. The artist enjoyed working with the figure and in particular the mother and child theme.
The artist spent a long time in hospital dealing with health concerns. During this period of time many Inuits faced problems with the on set of tuberculosis.
The artist has a brother named David Ikutaaq.
Mathew Aqigaaq passed away in 2010.
Price range information: Works range from $1,000 to $5,000.
Camille Iquliq was an Inuit artist from Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada born in the year 1963. Camille’s father has been profiled here already, Toona or Tuna Iquliq. Her father worked with the same rounded figure. Her dad and brother Johnny were carvers. Her mother enjoyed creating prints.
Camille Iquliq passed away in 2005.
Price range information: Works range from $800 to $2,000.
Basil Aptanik was the step brother to the last Inuit artist I posted about, Paul Toolooktook. Basil Aptanik was born in the year 1952 in Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada. Basil Aptanik was renown for his carvings of the mother and child theme.
His mother was also an artist, Martha Aptanik.
Though the artist is now mainly a sculptor, the artist participated in print collections back in the early 1970s.
Price range information: Works range from $1,000 to $5,000.
Another member of a very artistic family of multi-generations of artists. I love the detail paid to items held by his characters. Be it a spear or a drum held by a dancer, a great deal of attention is paid to the little details.
Paul Toolooktook was an Inuit artist born in Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada in the year 1947. His mother was a professional artist who carved and also made prints, her name was Martha Aptanik. Paul Toolooktook’s step brother, Basil Aptanik, is a professional artist working out of Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory. Basil will be the next post. Toolooktook was mainly a carver, but also produced some prints.
And below two depictions of the sea goddess Sedna made by Paul Toolooktook.
Toolooktook enjoyed working with animals and the figure. As a sculptor and carver Paul Toolooktook was very prolific.
Price range information: Works range from $1,000 to $10,000.
Paul Toolooktook passed away in 2003.
To close we take a look at a work by Basil Aptanik, Toolooktook’s step brother.
Peter Sevoga was an Inuit artist born in Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada in the year 1940. The artist was successful and well known in the art world before he was thirty years old. For his subject matter Peter Sevoga worked with the mother and child theme frequently. Sevoga also enjoyed creating works showing a shaman changing forms.
Price range information: Works range fromm $2,000 to $6,000.
Peter Sevoga worked in many mediums including fabric wall hangings and as a printmaker.
The artist had a half brother named Thomas Sevoga who was also based in Baker Lake.
Peter Sevoga passed away in 2007.
I love the mother and child theme with Kenojuak Ashevak’s work being supreme. Sevoga’s characters have wonderful facial expressions and the mother and child shape as a whole is very intriguing.
Ada Eyetoaq is a contemporary Inuit artist renowned for her sculptures, printmaking, and wall hangings. Ada Eyetoaq was born in the year 1934 near the Kazan River located in Canada. Eyetoaq often works with the figure and the mother and child theme.
Her family was among the last to leave the temporary settlement and move into the area of Baker Lake. Much of the artist’s work is involved with the traditional Inuit lifestyle of hunting and trapping. When her family first moved out of the temporary settlement to Baker Lake they had to live in a tent as there wasn’t enough housing for their family.
She married another trapper and artist named James Kingilik. The couple had hard times and food was very scarce. For four years they ate mainly fish as they could not find any caribou or seal to eat.
Her husband James Kingilik passed away in 1975.
Price range information: Works range from $500 to $3,000.
Josiah also known as Joshua Nuilaalik was an Inuit artist born in Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory, Canada in the year 1928. Some favorite subjects for the artist include shaman, the hunter, wildlife and animals.
Nuilaalik is included in the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Manitoba, Canada. He is also part of the Heard Museum Collection located in Phoenix, Arizona.
His wife was also an artist.
Josiah Nuilaalik passed away in 2005.
price range information: Works range from $2,000 to $10,000.
His father was the renown artist Jessie Oonark.
Sorry, no more information on this artist! More Inuit art coming soon!
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