The Inuit Gallery of Vancouver is pleased to present new artworks by senior Cape Dorset artist Ishuhungituk Etungat in this exhibition devoted to the birds of the Arctic. We have collected these sculptures over the course of a year and are very excited to release them together today.

Birds and owls have always had a special place in the Inuit imagination. Traditionally, they are seen as important connections and representations of ancestral spirits and the spirit world in general but Inuit have also been fascinated by their survival in the harsh arctic environment.

Ishuhungituk Etungat certainly shares this fascination as many of his artworks depict birds. Now in his early 60s, Etungat has found a unique artistic voice of his own in the last few years. His sculptures have a strong sense of symmetry and asymmetry and often incorporate large, smooth, level surfaces. As partially abstract artworks they certainly stand out in midst of the sculptural realism that Cape Dorset is mostly known for. Etungat’s focus on the primary form of the animals seems to enhance the impact of work: you can almost feel the alertness, protectiveness or ease of the birds.

The results are contemporary, almost minimal and very lovely works that speak of the artist’s great imagination as well as of his great artistic skills.

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