Artist Info
Kiakshuk
Kiakshuk was a prominent graphic artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU. Born in 1886 on the south coast of Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin Island), NU, Kiakshuk and his family moved to the Andrew Gordon Bay area in the early 1900s. Like many Inuit artists, Kiakshuk began his artistic pursuits later in life. He was in his 70s when he began drawing and printmaking at the encouragement of James Houston.
An early Kinngait artist, he had created over 650 drawings, 52 of which were made into prints from 1960 until his death in 1966. Kiakshuk was also interested in engraving; the direct nature of engraving appealed to him, and he is lesser known for his sculpture and printmaking practices. These abilities likely influenced his children as well: his son, Lukta Qiatsuq (graphic artist and sculptor) who often translated his father’s drawings into prints; and his two artistic daughters, Ishuhungitok Pootoogook (graphic artist) and Paunichea (graphic artist).
In addition to his art, Kiakshuk was a respected storyteller and elder. He was able to turn oral histories, as well as his own experiences of hunting, animals, family life, shamans into the subject of many of his works. Kiakshuk’s storytelling and traditional singing skills were featured in a 1958 National Film Board film called The Living Stone. In 1973, he and Pudlo Pudlat illustrated a book of traditional songs and stories gathered by Knud Rasmussen during his time in the Arctic called Eskimo Songs and Stories.
Many of Kiakshuk’s prints have been featured in the Kinngait annual print collection, and his 1960 print, the Summer Tent, was released as a stamp in 1979. His works have been exhibited across Canada and internationally. His works have not yet been shown at the ULAG.
