Pitseolak Niviaqsi

Cape Dorset, Nunavut Territory, Canada

(1947-2015)

 

A son of the great sculptor and graphic artist Niviaksiak and the graphic artist Kunu, Pitseolak trained as a printmaker, possibly through the influence of his older brother, Qiatsuq. As a sculptor, he has a talent for using positive and negative space that imbues his work with a lightness and fluidity reminiscent of the work of the two great masters Osuitok Ipeelee and Lukta Qiatsuk. His work has a wide range: graceful interpretations of wildlife, particularly birds; family carvings, which often represent his wife and children; and depictions of the sea goddess. His future as a master carver and mentor to the new generation of carvers seems assured.