Regional Styles


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    The Persistence of Regional Styles

    Inuit culture is not and has never been monolithic and unchanging. Different Inuit groups, spread across the Arctic in seven major regions, developed similar but distinct traditions and beliefs. These differences can be seen in regional clothing variations, the different versions of Inuit legends and the different stylistic expression of spiritual beliefs. Sculpture from the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut, for example, has extremely close ties to the belief system of the local Netsilingmiut, which partially accounts for its recognizable style.

    Many of these differences can be linked to the changing environment of the Arctic, which ranges from harsh mountains to flat tundra. These environmental differences partially dictated the availability of particular resources: muskoxen, for example, do not inhabit the Qikiqtaaluk, while an abundance of walrus live in the central Arctic regions. The availability of this material, as well as the different cultural beliefs and traditions of each region, has had a direct impact on the art produced in these areas. The large numbers of walrus in the central Arctic, for example, has encouraged the production of ivory miniature carvings, while the lack of muskoxen in the Qikiqtaaluk partially explains why muskox horn is so rarely used there.

    Different types of stone are available throughout the Arctic and this too impacts the art: tough steatite from the Kivalliq cannot be sculpted into the daring forms that serpentine from the Qikiqtaaluk can be, and does not allow the same level of detail as steatite from Nunavik. The qualities of other materials, such as whalebone, caribou antler and ivory, also affect the qualities of a final piece.

    The tradition of teaching one's family members how to create artwork also encourages stylistic continuity within communities. There is still very little formal artistic training in the Arctic compared with southern Canada and so many sculptors are taught by older artists. This creates a situation where art-making techniques are passed down and so encourages a kind of stylistic similarity that remains over the years.

    The Importance and Recognition of Individual Styles

    While regional and community styles continue to be identifiable, it is important to note the increasing number of artists who are creating unique and idiosyncratic styles of their own. While every artist has their own unique style, certain artists are defying any ability to meaningfully categorize them as working within a particular stylistic trend that is defined by their community.

    Similarly, these individual artists have made names for themselves due to their unique voices, technical skill and innovative use of materials. Many modern Inuit artists' work pushes the boundaries of what many think of as Inuit art: by transforming traditional subject matter and making it their own; by carving non-traditional subject matter; by using non-traditional materials; by using traditional materials in innovative ways, these artists are uniquely situated in the landscape of Inuit art as having their own distinct and recognizable voices and styles.

    These most sought-after contemporary artists forcefully assert their individual identities and stories, as well as their culture and heritage. Whether they live in the Arctic or have moved to southern Canada, these artists' work is the future of Inuit art - changing, growing and stretching into new areas. Their work states that modern Inuit, like this artwork, are powerful and in charge of their own stories and destinies, actively meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century and shaping their future.

     

     

  • Qikiqtaaluk Region


    The Qikiqtaaluk or Baffin region of Nunavut is home to some of the most famous artists and art producing communities in the Canadian Arctic. The area has the highest quality stone for sculpting in the Arctic, including rich serpentine, argillite and marble deposits. The stone from this region generally polishes to a high gloss and has a structural integrity that allows for the creation of bold compositions.

     

  • Kinngait (Cape Dorset)


    The most famous art producing community in the Qikiqtaaluk is Kinngait (Cape Dorset). With such a wide range of incredibly talented artists, Kinngait is home to a unique range of personal styles. Subject matter in Kinngait is as varied as the artists who produce works, but many focus on animals and supernatural themes. These works are often formally accomplished and stretch the stone to its structural limits.

    As the first community to make prints, Kinngait set the standard for quality in printmaking. Printmaking experiments began in 1958 under the direction of James Houston, OC, and their annual collections began in 1960. The success of the initial collection paved the way for the expansion of the print program not only in Kinngait but across the Arctic. Their prints are certainly the most famous as a whole and the release of their annual print catalogue is always highly anticipated by museums, galleries and the public. Kinngait prints are chosen from a wide range of drawings that often have very individual styles. The studio was also the first to install a lithography studio and this technique remains one of their most dominant.

     


     
  • Kimmirut (Lake Harbour)

    Artists from Kimmirut (Lake Harbour) are also particularly skilled and use the same serpentine deposits as artists from Kinngait. Artists here are known for their naturalistic depictions of animals and, to a lesser extent, spirit creatures. The work is generally less exuberant than sculptures in Kinngait but still have individual character.
     

     
  • Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung)


    Artists from Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung) also create works made primarily from serpentine. These artists tend to focus on supernatural themes of transformations and spirit creatures, which have powerful features and extensive detailing.

    Printmaking began in Panniqtuuq in 1973 as part of a project sponsored by the Government of the Northwest Territories and annual collections have been produced with few exceptions. Artists here use a variety of printmaking techniques, but their stencil prints tend to be favoured above the rest. Prints here tend to represent traditional life, especially whaling, but recently have taken a different turn by depicting decidedly contemporary life and events.

     
  • Sanikiluaq


    Artists from Sanikiluaq in the Belcher Islands are noted for using argillite when creating characteristically realistic sculptures. This matte stone, which ranges in colour from grey to almost black, gives these works a unique character. These pieces often feature animals which realistically convey the strength and movement of these animals while still giving them fairly stylized features.

     

  • Iqaluit

     

    As the capital of Nunavut and its largest community, Iqaluit is uniquely positioned to be a meeting place for many different artists who have moved to the capital. This has encouraged a blending of many other styles from throughout the Qikiqtaaluk, so that sculpture from Iqaluit has a broad range of stylistic possibilities. Many artists who live in this community sculpt animals, which are often portrayed in unnatural but daring poses.

     
  • Iglulik (Igloolik)

     

    Iglulik is home to many important contemporary artists. The local stone does not polish to a high gloss and many artists here choose to import stone from other communities. Many artists here portray emotionally intense scenes filled with action, such as hunting, though increasingly supernatural themes are becoming popular in this community.

     

  • Nunavik Region



    Nunavik is where the modern period of Inuit art production began and so in many ways it set the initial standard. Each of Nunavik's fourteen communities has a distinct style, but two of the most striking features of sculpture in this region are its strong narrative quality and its tendency towards realistic depictions of subject matter. The local stone is steatite, or soapstone, the material that has become synonymous with Inuit sculpture. Stylistic trends in the region are dominated by artists from Inukjuak and Puvirnituq.

     
  • Inukjuak

     

    Inukjuak carvers tend to focus on naturalistic hunting scenes and images of camp life; depictions of supernatural themes are extremely rare. Sculpture in Inukjuak generally uses rounded forms and was heavily influenced by the work of Johnny Inukpuk, RCA (1911-2007). Many works from this community are relatively staid and often do not use negative space in any substantial way.

  • Puvirnituq


    Like artists in Inukjuak, artists in this community have a strong interest in realism, though they often incorporate more detail than works from Inukjuak. Puvirnituq artists also gravitate towards "grittier" subject matter, including violence and depicting bodily functions. Sculptures from this community often have more tension than those from Inukjuak and seem to threaten to burst forth out of the stone.

    In 1962, Puvirnituq produced its first partial annual print catalogue after support from Father Andre Steinman and artist Charlie Sivuarapik, which was distributed with Kinngait's full annual collection. The community was able to produce annual collections from 1964 to 1989 with few exceptions. In 1989, the studio was closed and printmaking ceased until 2005 when a new studio opened. Early Puvirnituq prints were generally monochromatic and blocky, portraying life in a realistic way.

     

  • Akulivik

    Many artists from Puvirnituq have settled in Akulivik, so the styles of these two communities are very similar. The use of ivory inlay, once common, has decreased. Artists in this community are generally concerned with naturalistic depictions of subject matter, often animals and traditional hunting scenes.

     

     
  • Ivujivik

    Sculpture in Ivujivik primarily depicts the human form, whether hunting or engaged in traditional camp activities. These large forms often have proportionally small heads, hands and feet.

     


     
  • Salluit

     

    Salluit artists share many stylistic similarities with artists from Ivujivik and also concentrate on displaying people engaged in traditional activities. These figures are often stylized, without realistic movement or tension. Rather, artists here opt to create works that appear much more calm and staid.

     
  • Kangirsuk

     

    Sculpture from Kangirsuk tends to be more abstract than works produced in other Nunavik communities. Though it has been described as "crude" and "folk-like", the sculptures are often stripped down of realistic detail and reveal the artists' unique voices.

     
  • Kuujjuaraapik

     

    Sculpture from Kujjuaraapik has much in common with work from Sanikiluaq and Inukjuak because of its proximity to both locations. While older works tend to depict wildlife and traditional themes, younger artists are beginning to explore the use of mixed media and depict more abstract and supernatural themes.

     

  • Kivalliq region

     

    The Kivalliq region of Nunavut has many deposits of coarse steatite and basalt, but finding good quality carving stone has been a consistent problem. Much of the local grey and black stone does not lend itself to high detail or finish, so many artists here choose not to fight against these qualities but instead to embrace them. Younger carvers of this region continue to produce minimalist pieces, though some also add beautiful beaded adornments to their work, incorporating pops of color that add an extra amount of life to their works.

     


  • Naujaat (Repulse Bay)

     

    Though located in the Kivalliq, Naujaat has a very different sculptural style than its southern neighbours. Better known for its tradition of sculpting ivory miniatures, this community also produces beautiful and detailed sculptures. While ivory carvings generally lack precise detail, these large-scale stone sculptures are intricately carved. Sculpture here is realistic and vibrant, showing a restrained sense of movement. Figures often have individual expressions. The use of mixed media, including caribou antler and whalebone, enhances the realism of the carvings.

     

  • Arviat

    Arviat artists produce some of the most abstract carvings of the entire Canadian Arctic, creating predominately family scenes with very few details accentuating the local hard steatite. By contrast, local antler carvings are comparatively detailed and depict wildlife and hunting scenes.

     


     
  • Qamani'tuaq (Baker Lake)


    Carvers in Qamani'tuaq are often more figural than carvers in Arviat. Their figures often accentuate the roundness and bulk of forms. Stone here accepts polish much more easily than elsewhere in the Kivalliq. Arctic wildlife, such as muskoxen, and the mother and child are popular subject matter here, often depicted without much detail.

    Printmaking is another important art form in the community. Prints from Qamani'tuaq are often vibrant and colourful. The community produced its first annual collection in 1970 through the Sanavik Co-operative, encouraged by Jack and Sheila Butler. Their print program continued until the studio closed in 1990, but the community managed to release a collection in 1995. The program was revived in association with Arctic College in 1998 and is now stronger than before. Qamani’tuaq prints often combine stonecut and stencil methods. Notable graphic artists from Qamani'tuaq include Jessie Oonark, OC (1906-1985) and Irene Avalaaqiaq (1941—), whose unique styles show the range of production here. Oonark's works are bold and focused, Avaalaaqiaq's compositions are filled with movement. Younger artists continue to work in bold colours, though using updated and increasingly abstract styles.

    Wall hangings or nivingata were originally created in Qamani'tuaq. Inuit women were traditionally responsible for creating and maintaining clothing, one of the vital adaptations that allowed people to live in the Arctic. This required specialized techniques and a great deal of skill. Women also started to decorate clothing with embroidery and beads once they became available. By the 1950s, women were embroidering clothing for sale. One day, Jessie Oonark, OC (1906-1985) brought a particularly beautifully embroidered piece in and the local crafts officer told her that she could probably get just as much money for the embroidery as for the whole piece. Oonark then left and created the first fabric wall hanging, which hung in the crafts store window for a year and inspired many other women to create them as well. Most wall hangings are made out of duffel or stroud, thick woollen imported materials that are also used to make clothing. Other pieces of fabric are then embroidered or appliquéd onto the piece using embroidery thread.

    The vibrancy of these works and the prints from the community contrasts the more abstract forms of the sculptures.

     



     

  • Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet)

     


    Kangirqliniq is the second-largest community in Nunavut and has attracted many Inuit from other communities. Like Iqaluit, this has led to a blending of styles in the area. Modern sculptors are known for their incised detail and use of caribou antler as well as stone.

    Kangirqliniq is probably best known as the centre of ceramics production in the Arctic. While Arctic ceramics production dates back to the ninth century, modern ceramics are not utilitarian objects but rather fine art pieces first and foremost. Many of the works reflect individual artist's relationships with traditional and modern Inuit culture. Though some works are utilitarian objects, they appear very sculptural even when applied to a vessel shape.

     


     

  • Kitikmeot Region

     


    The Kitikmeot region of Nunavut has never had an accessible or abundant supply of good quality carving stone. Artists here must travel long distances to where the Precambrian Canadian Shield is exposed in order to collect its unique serpentine that displays white fibrous deposits of tremolite. These deposits are much harder than the surrounding stone and so can complicate the composition of a sculpture. Many artists in this region are noted for working in whalebone.

    Sculpture from the Kitikmeot is very distinct - artists here like to play with expressions and proportions and use mixed media to highlight certain elements of the work, creating figures that are at first glance grotesque and severe. This relates directly to the unique character of spirituality in the region, which was the last to have contact with qallunaat, or non-Aboriginal Westerners. Sculpting here is quite tough because the local stone is very hard to work with. Despite this, and the works' immediate impression of severity, many of the carvings produced in this region display a great deal of humour if you look closely.

    Talurjuak (Spence Bay/Taloyoak) artist Karoo Ashevak (1940-1974) transformed the style of the Kitikmeot in his short career. Working primarily in whalebone, Ashevak specialized in surreal supernatural imagery that often had an amusing quality to it. His career was tragically cut short when he and his wife perished in a house fire in 1970 but he has had a profound influence on other artists. Many of the artists associated with this region, including Judas Ullulaq, Charlie Ugjuk and Nelson Takkiruq were profoundly influenced by Ashevak's work and helped to put sculpture from this region at the artistic forefront. Modern sculpture from this region continues to be influenced by the success of Karoo Ashevak and other older sculptors, exploring supernatural themes and with humor and uniquely exaggerated proportions. However, since the passing of the earlier generation, less sculpture is being made here, making it comparably rare.

     


     
  • Talurjuak (Spence Bay/Taloyoak)

     

     The style developed in Talurjuak set the standard for art produced in the entire Kitikmeot region. The use of locally-available whalebone, carved into haunting supernatural forms, has become internationally-sought after, despite restrictions of the export of the material. Many artists here now choose to create works out of stone, rather than bone, but the use of mixed media is widespread and often serves to enhance the effect of the works' exaggerated proportions and traditional subject matter .

     
  • Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven)

    Sculpture in Uqsuqtuuq is very closely related to that from Talurjuak stylistically. Contemporary artists here continue to make art inspired by artists like Karoo Ashevak and Judas Ullulaq. Their work continues to use the region's tough stone to their advantage, creating abstract and occasionally grotesque forms that reflect the traditional spirituality of the local Netsilingmiut.
     

     

  • Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay)

     


    Sculpture in the community of Kugaaruk is mainly of two types: ivory miniature carving typified by artists like Emily Illuitok and more abstract sculpture, like those by Nick Sikkuark. The abundance of walrus in the area means that ivory is widely available for carving. While ivory miniatures are often charming and reflect scenes of traditional life, other sculpture from the community reflects the broader stylistic trends of the Kitikmeot region. There is a great deal of wit infused in these works. Sculptures here tend to employ mixed media: stone, ivory, caribou antler and whalebone.

     

     

  • Qurluktuk (Kugluktuk)

     


    Qurluktuk is the westernmost community in Nunavut and as such shares stylistic similarities with communities in the neighbouring Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Artists in Kugluktuk often create small sculptures that take traditional subject matter as its major theme. Because of the area's natural copper deposits, it is not unusual to see metal incorporated into works of mixed media that may also include whalebone, antler, stone and wood.

     

     

  • Nunatsiavut

     


    Art production in Nunatsiavut has a very different history than in other Inuit regions. Unlike the rest of the Arctic, Inuit in Nunatsiavut were not given the same kind of governmental support for art production. As a result, art from Nunatsiavut is often described as folk art or craft-like because it lacks the sophisticated techniques used elsewhere in the Arctic. However, contemporary artists like John Terriak and Henry Semigak are being recognized for their prodigious skill and enormous talent. Increasingly, Inuit artists in the area are receiving formal training, from workshops from established artists sponsored by organizations like the Inuit Art Foundation or at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Nunatsiavut is establishing itself as a rapidly growing area for sophisticated art production.

     

  • The Inuvialuit Settlement Region

     


    Art production in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region is not as widespread as in other Inuit regions, partly because the federal and territorial governments focused on cultivating natural resources there rather than on fostering art production. However, the art that is produced in the region uniquely reflects the traditions of the Inuvialuit and the environment of the western Arctic.

     

  • Ulukhaktok (Holman)

     


    Notable sculptures from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the western Arctic are being produced in Ulukhaktok where artists focus on wildlife and hunting scenes. Like in the Kitikmeot, sculptors here prefer to use whalebone, though lately muskox horn has become a prominent material. When heated, the horn curves and can be made into elegant geese or whales. Printmaking began in Ulukhaktok in 1960 after the encouragement of Father Henri Tardy, a Catholic missionary who helped found the local co-operative. The community has released an annual catalogue with few exceptions since 1965. Early Ulukhaktok prints are recognizable for their graphic black stonecut prints with minimal detail, but more recent prints are colourfully made using stencils and other methods. Helen Kalvak, CM (1901-1984) is arguably Ulukhaktok's most famous graphic artist. She produced around 2,000 drawings, and her work The Dance was featured on a Canadian postage stamp in 1979. Since 1987, Ulukhaktok printmakers have abandoned the stone cut technique and explored others, including lithography and woodcut. Younger artists like Mary Okheena (1955-) now create prints marked by their colourful vibrancy, attention to detail and lush settings.

     



     

     

  • Southern Canada Region

     


    Some contemporary Inuit artists have chosen to live outside of the Arctic and move to southern communities. These artists often have unique styles that may connect with their home communities but are intensely individual. Many artists living in the south incorporate non-indigenous materials, such as imported stone, and juxtaposing them with more traditional materials like ivory, whalebone or antler. These artists' works are often intensely personal and defy attempts to categorize them.