Carving Through Generations

Kellipalik Etidloie - Mathew Flaherty - Quaraq Nungusuitok

Dear Friends of Indigena,

The art of carving has been the livelihood of Inuit for years. They carved what they saw in their environment: their sleds, kudliks (lamps), ulus (the woman's knife), hunting tools, and of course, nature and wildlife that surrounded them (bears, muskox, walrus, seals to name a few). In the late 1950s, Inuit printmaking and carving began to be marketed internationally.

It is common for Inuit families to continue the artistic traditions of their predecessors. It is important for us to recognize the carvers of the younger generation as they are carrying on in the tradition of their ancestors all the while grappling with the realities of modern life in the Arctic.

We are featuring the works of three younger carvers: Kellipalik Etidloie, Mathew Flaherty and Qoraq Nungusuitok. I decided to include the relationship of each carver's familial mentors. Our gallery has now been promoting third and fourth generation carvers, and it is wonderful to see how each new carver builds on the work of his or her ancestors.

We've included a short biography on each artist, and have noted their relatives who have been recognized as Master carvers or Master graphic artists.

Enjoy viewing the collection below.

Sincerely,

Kellipalik (Kelly) Etidloie

At an early age, Kelly Etidloie was adopted by Kingmeata and Etidloie, both talented artists: Kingmeata, a graphic artist represented for years in the annual Cape Dorset print collections; Etidloie, a prolific carver and graphic artist recognized worldwide, from Europe to Japan to across North America. From his early career in 1960 until the time of his death in 1981, he made over 500 drawings.

Kelly's work covers a wide variety of subject matter, but in recent years he has been exploring wildlife as his theme. A lover of the land, he spends his summer with his family living off the land and observing the wildlife he encounters there.

Preening Bird

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

4.5" x 4" x 5.5" (44219)

$650

Wolf

Kellipalik Etidloie

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

6.5" x 4" x 5.25" (50803-S)

$950

Bird and Chick

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

4" x 8" x 3" (53751)

$1000

Walrus Transformation

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

8" x 5" x 4.25" (54368)

$975

Three Whales

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

8.75" x 5" x 5.25" (58650-S)

$790

Wolf and Dog

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

Left: 8" x 2.5" x 4" (54369-S) Right: "5.5" x 1" x 4.5" (55021-S)

$1290 | $450

Goose in Flight and Bird in Flight

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

Left: 3.5" x 6" x 8" (53284-S) Right: 2" x 5" x 7" (53285-S)

$1600 | $1200

Muskox and Calf

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

11" x 4.5" x 3" (58337-S)

$1600

Mathew Flaherty

Mathew Flaherty was born in Iqaluit in 1998 but grew up in the small Inuit hamlet of Grise Fiord, the northernmost public community in Canada. At the age of seven, Mathew carved his first sculpture, a polar bear. While Mathew is largely self-taught, he was influenced by the distinguished Grise Fiord artist Looty Pijamie. He is a distant relative of the famous filmmaker Robert Flaherty who directed and produced the first commercially successful feature-length documentary film, Nanook of the North in 1922. His great grandparents on the other side are Kingmeata and Etidloie Etidloie.

In 2019, Mathew moved to Kinngait (Cape Dorset) where he was taught further sculpting techniques by resident artist Parr Parr. He is particularly known for his wolves and fox carvings. These subjects are considered challenging to execute due to the thinness of the legs, but Mathew's dedication to these pieces demonstrates his growing mastery of the subject.

Wolf

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

13.5" x 3" x 8.25" (54078-S)

$2500

Wolf

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

10" x 2" x 3" (57190)

$975

Fox

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

15" x 1.5" x 3.5" (50922)

$1275

Dancing Bear

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

5.5" x 7.5" x 17" (55018-S)

$4800

Wolf

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

3.25" x 8" x 9" (57468-S)

$2250

Standing Bear

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

3.25" x 8" x 9" (54359-S)

$1500

Bear

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

10.5" x 2.5" x 3.75" (54077)

$1250

Standing Bear

Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Serpentine

2" x 3" x 8.25" (56244-S)

$750.00

Qoraq Nungusuitak

Qoraq Nungsuitak learned carving by watching his father, Master Carver Tuqiqki Manomie, a renowned Kinngait (Cape Dorset) artist. His uncles are also Master Carvers, Anxangayu Shaa and Qavavau Manumie. He describes his transformation pieces as similar to his father's works. His bears tend towards realism, depicting moments of movement. His subject matter ranges from polar bears, seals, walruses, and birds to transformation carvings and Inuksuit (Inuit stone markers).

Qoraq carves in white marble and serpentine from Baffin Island. When carving in Arctic marble, he often inserts black stone for the nose of his polar bear to heighten the realism of the sculpture. His bears express a simplicity and strength of form. Indeed, he is best known for his carved bears. He loves to carve, and has been a professional carver for the majority of his life.