Ningeokuluk Teevee is currently one of my favourite Inuit visual artists. She was born May 27, 1963 in Cape Dorset, Nunavut.
This drawing, Imposing Walrus (2009) is currently on the cover of Inuit Art Quarterly (IAQ), Winter 2009 (Vol.24, No.4). I love Teevee’s use of space on paper and attention to fine detail.
Seasonal Migration (2009) is a depiction of a caribou herd on the move. Her use of space and colour is fantastic, but what really makes much of Teevee’s work stand out is her adoption of graphic design.
She is also becoming known for her representations of traditional Inuit stories, which have been making a resurgence in Inuit art.
This print is entitled, Sedna’s Wonder (2009). For those of you who don’t know, Sedna (she also goes by other names, depending on which group of Inuit you ask) is a sea goddess according to Inuit legend.
She began as a young girl who was orphaned, and therefore the responsibility of her entire village. Sedna was often teased by children and sometimes seen as a burden by the adults because of her status.
One day, as her group was preparing to go hunting on the sea, her fate would change. As she went to climb into a kayak, some boys pushed her into the sea. She tried to hold onto the kayak to keep from drowning, but they chopped off her fingers and Sedna drowned.
As she sank deeper into the sea, she began to transform into a supernatural being, half human, half sea animal. She was now a part of the underwater world; a sea goddess representing and protecting all sea creatures.
Teevee’s detailed representation of Sedna includes stubby fingers, a mermaid-esque tail and a well-maintained hair-do; she is known for her love of braids.
More to come on Teevee, including the Beatles and her first book.
Inuit Expression 