Artist Info
Lypa Pitsiulak
Lipa Pitsiulak was a graphic artist and sculptor from Pangnirtung, NU. Little is known about Pitsiulak’s early life, however, he mentions that “When I was a boy, I used to try to do carving. I only started drawing seriously when drawing was encouraged in Pangnirtung by Gary Magee. Before that I used to try drawing on the window of my tent when there was frost. The window was made out of the dried intestine of a square flipper. I used my fingers for drawing different kinds of pictures.” Pitsiulak moved to Pangnirtung in 1967 and became a successful printmaker and sculptor.
Pitsiulak married graphic artist Annie Pitsiulak, and in 1977, the family moved from Pannirtuq to an outpost camp where Lipa pursued hunting, an uncommon choice in the time period, many had moved from outposts into the community. The couple had seven children, one passed away as a teenager.Their daughter, Malaya, was born at the outpost so far away from the nearest community that a doctor from Iqaluit had to talk Annie through the birth over radio while Lypa delivered the baby.
As an artist, Pitsiulak was influenced by his ancestors, the old ways of living, and his family history. His drawings and prints depict Inuit mythology passed through oral storytelling over many generations. In addition to creating art, Pitsiulak was also the former vice-president of the board of directors of the Pangnirtung printmaking co-operative. He is the subject of the film Lypa, produced by the National Film Board in 1988 and a number of his drawings have been made into prints and tapestries by the artists in the Pangnirtung Print Shop and Tapestry Studio.
Pitsiulak’s works have been exhibited internationally and across Canada. One of his early prints, “The Disguised Archer,” was also made into a Canadian postage stamp in 1977. Most recently, his works have been featured at the ULAG in the 2018 exhibition, Recent Acquisitions: Highlights from the Collection of Dr. Margaret (Marmie) Hess.
