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Tivi Etok
Canadian, born 1929
Tivi Etok is a sculptor and graphic artist from Kangiqsualujjuaq (George River), QC. Etok was born in 1928 in Qirnituartuq, Nunavik, QC. Etok began drawing at a young age, using sticks on sand: “As a child, I drew wherever I came upon a stretch of smooth fine sand. I drew all kinds of animals. I drew villages, even though I had never seen buildings.” In 1959, the family relocated to Kangiqsulujjuaq, QC. Etok continued to draw and in 1972, he was selected by the George River Cooperative to attend a three-week printmaking workshop in Puvirnituq (Povungnituk), QC. When he returned to Kangiqsulujjuaq, Etok established a printshop in one of the co-operative’s buildings. He imported stone from the south and practiced stonecutting with his son-in-law, Peter Morgan.
Etok’s works are shaped largely by his fight for survival, both through illness and starvation, as well as through images of supernatural creatures. In an effort to teach future generations and keep old stories and ways of life alive, many of his prints include extended text describing the history of what he has depicted. Etok shows his own history with his private print chop illustrating his mother’s ulu and the bird darts he made as a child.
In 1975, Etok became the first Inuit printmaker to have a solo print collection released. The collection, Whispering in My Ears and Mingling with My Dreams, travelled internationally. In addition, a biography, The World of Tivi Etok written by Jobie Weetaluktuk and Robyn Bryant, was published in 2008. The biography, written in English, French, and Inuktitut, focuses on Etok’s life and features several of his prints. His works have been exhibited internationally, most recently, they were featured at the ULAG in the 2018 Recent Acquisitions: Highlights from the collection of Dr. Margaret (Marmie) Hess exhibition and the 2019 Stories for the Collection exhibition.
Etok’s works are shaped largely by his fight for survival, both through illness and starvation, as well as through images of supernatural creatures. In an effort to teach future generations and keep old stories and ways of life alive, many of his prints include extended text describing the history of what he has depicted. Etok shows his own history with his private print chop illustrating his mother’s ulu and the bird darts he made as a child.
In 1975, Etok became the first Inuit printmaker to have a solo print collection released. The collection, Whispering in My Ears and Mingling with My Dreams, travelled internationally. In addition, a biography, The World of Tivi Etok written by Jobie Weetaluktuk and Robyn Bryant, was published in 2008. The biography, written in English, French, and Inuktitut, focuses on Etok’s life and features several of his prints. His works have been exhibited internationally, most recently, they were featured at the ULAG in the 2018 Recent Acquisitions: Highlights from the collection of Dr. Margaret (Marmie) Hess exhibition and the 2019 Stories for the Collection exhibition.