Name/Title
"Fishing in the Summer" 186-0170Entry/Object ID
2021.02.02Description
Tim Pitsiulak (b.1967– 2016, Kimmirut, Baffin Island, Nunavut) was an artist and hunter who worked primarily in drawing and printmaking. He grew up during a time when the traditional Inuit nomadic lifestyle had been replaced by permanent settlements and modern technology. As a young boy with access to television, his father worked to ensure he had an awareness of his heritage by teaching him Inuktitut, how to hunt, and a traditional respect for nature.
Pitsiulak’s artistic interests started early. He began drawing around the age of nine and later took up carving and jewellery-making at Nunavut Arctic College. He was particularly inspired by his late aunt Kenojuak Ashevak (1927-2013). Ashevak was an Inuit graphic artist of great acclaim and served as a mentor throughout his career.
Being a modern Inuit hunter, Pitsiulak was moved by the land and the diverse wildlife within it. He was equally interested in the boats, ATVs, and heavy equipment that conveyed modern life in Cape Dorset. Detailed in his realistic drawings and prints is a world where traditions and modernity are blended and admired. Pitsiulak depicts figures in traditional anorak travelling the landscape on ATVs, men in rubber boots and ball caps fishing for food with nets, as well as Inuit carving seals and walruses with traditional tools. Through his honest and simple imagery, the artist captured his deep affection for his community, its traditions, and the land.Artwork Details
Medium
graphite, coloured pencil and felt pen on paperDimensions
Height
55.9 cmWidth
76.2 cm