Inuit Art
Inuit Art is produced by Inuit, aboriginal people of the Arctic previously known as Eskimos. Inuit artists are often inspired by the arctic landscape and the Inuit way of life, influenced by the land that surrounds them.
The Inuit have a rich tradition of artistic production originating in the Pre-Dorset and Dorset cultures, 4000-600BCE. These early Inuit produced a significant amount of figurative art in the mediums of ivory, bone, antler, and occasionally stone. Subjects included
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Inuit Art
Inuit Art is produced by Inuit, aboriginal people of the Arctic previously known as Eskimos. Inuit artists are often inspired by the arctic landscape and the Inuit way of life, influenced by the land that surrounds them.
The Inuit have a rich tradition of artistic production originating in the Pre-Dorset and Dorset cultures, 4000-600BCE. These early Inuit produced a significant amount of figurative art in the mediums of ivory, bone, antler, and occasionally stone. Subjects included birds, bears, walruses, seals, human figures and small masks. These items had a magical or religious significance, and were either worn as amulets to ward off evil spirits, or used in Shamanic rituals.
Items previously produced as decorative tools or Shamanic amulets, became trade commodities in the 16th century when the Inuit began to barter with European whalers, missionaries and other visitors to the North. For example, Inuit artists began producing ivory miniatures to decorate European rifles, tools, boats, musical instruments and cribbage boards.
As the Inuit settled into communities in the late 1940s, their carvings became larger and their craft became more widely recognized as an art form. Since the 1950s, the Inuit graphic style has developed; some Inuit artists have adopted a polished style rooted in naturalism while others have developed a style that is highly abstract. Both styles depict traditional beliefs.
Whether small-scale miniatures or large-scale sculptural pieces, three-dimensional works are typically carved by hand with an axe and file. Although historically the preferred medium was ivory, the most common material is now steatite, or soapstone, from the Arctic, deposits which range from black to light green in color, or orange-red imports from Brazil. Figurative works carved in serpentinite or argillite are also popular. Other carving materials include caribou antler, walrus tusk ivory and whalebone.
Although stone carving is the most popular and longstanding of Inuit art forms, other media, including printmaking, painting and drawing, have been explored and developed since the 1950s. Figures of animals and hunters, family scenes, and mythological imagery are especially popular in these two-dimensional works, and represented in earth tones and bold primary colors.
Notable Inuit artists include, Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Osuitok Ipeelee, Andy Miki, Jessie Oonark, John Pangnark, Parr, David Ruben Piqtoukun, Peter Pitseolak, Pauta Saila, Nick Sikkuark, Irene Avaalaaqiaq Tiktaalaaq, John Tiktak and Simon Tookoome. (hide)
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