Toona Iqalik (Iquliq)

Toona Iqalik (Iquliq)

1935-2015
Baker Lake, Nunavut Territory

Toona Iqalik was born in 1935 near Baker Lake, where he lived and worked for most of his career.  With over 40 years of experience carving, he is most recognized for his rounded abstract carvings of people.  However, figures such as muskox, birds and bears were also characteristic. His children, Johnny, Louie and Camill are also well known carvers.  Since the 1960s, Toona has had numerous exhibitions across North America and the United States as well as in Europe and England.

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Napachie Pootoogook

Napachie Pootoogook

1938-2002

Baffin Island, Nunavut Territory

Napachie Pootoogook was known both for her prints and, later in her career, for her original drawings.  Napachie is known for documenting ancestral stories of camp life and legend.  Since the 1960s her work has been a highlight of the Cape Dorset Print Collection.  Her work was shaped by her experience as the last of a generation to live 'on the land' in a traditional way.

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Kudluajuk Ashoona

Kudluajuk Ashoona

1958 - 2019

Cape Dorset, Nunavut Territory

Kudluajuk Ashoona's biological parents were the well-known carvers, Kabubuwa and Tayara Tunnillie. She was adopted by the family of the notable graphic artist, Simeonie Quppapik. Kudluajuk did not seriously begin to make art until 2011. In a rare reversal of influence, she was inspired to draw by her daughter, Nicotye Samayualie. Kudluajuk’s works are very narrative and literal. Her drawings often depict scenes of contemporary family life. Family outings, domestic gatherings and leisure activities are some of her favourite subjects.

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Shuvinai Ashoona

Shuvinai Ashoona

Shuvinai Ashoona was born in 1961 in Cape Dorset, NU. Her imaginative and evocative drawings take a personal look at complex realities of contemporary Inuit life , histories of traditional spirituality versus organized religion and  the influence of North American culture on a population that has experienced a dramatic change of lifestyle and culture in a single generation.

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Quvianaqtuk Pudlat

Quvianaqtuk Pudlat

b. 1962 -

Kinggait, Nunavut Territory

Quvianaqtuk Putlat’s career as an artist has shifted from carving to drawing over the last decade. His two dimensional work was first shown in the 2017 print collection where his print “Sparring Owls” was selected for the cover. Since that time, we have seen his individual style become more established and it now stands at the forefront of contemporary Inuit art. Quvianiaqtuk has an innate ability to take well established themes and elevate them through a contemporary lens. Images of caribou bring to mind Kananginak Pootoogook, while the epic scale and expressive character of the subjects are reminiscent of Tim Pitsiulak. However, Quvianaqtuk’s drawings are distinct and exceptional, showing his unique voice in the artistic community.

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