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Dear friends,
Please visit us in person or online to see our new acquisitions. Of course, we can only highlight a fraction of our selections in newsletters and on the website. If you are looking for a particular artist, subject or community, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.
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Beside ivory and the brilliant serpentine stone of southern Baffin Island, antler is often relegated to a supporting role or bit part in Inuit art. In some communities, however, the paucity of good carving stone gave the more readily available antler a leading role. The sculptures pictured here -- from George River, Pelly Bay and Arviat -- show the possibilities of the medium.
Leo Ikeu's Drum Dancer (above right) embraces the flowing form of a caribou antler, finding a leaping dancer in it. Andy Mamgark's untitled work (left) combines a delicate ivory head and an antler carved with delightful vignettes, including a hunter stalking a caribou (a rather incestuous reference).
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Finally, Emily Illuitok's Migration uses an antler to create an entire landscape through which a band of Inuit is travelling.
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Jutai Toonoo, one of the most distinctive artists in Cape Dorset, died just before Christmas.
Jutai's sculptures were haunting images, often of faces that seemed to be barely liberated from the rock in which they were trapped. All bore legends, which were often political or polemic.
As a graphic artist, Jutai was versatile, frequently among the first to try new media and techniques. The raven at right is an unusually serene image for him. First impressions can be deceiving, however, and a closer look reveals great complexity in the sky and mountains. His death is a great loss for the Inuit art community.
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About Us
Alaska on Madison is a gallery of indigenous art of Alaska and Canada run by collectors for collectors. We feature Inuit art of the twentieth and twenty-first century Canadian Arctic, two-thousand-year-old objects from the Old Bering Sea cultures, and nineteenth century art from the Northwest Coast peoples and Yup'ik Eskimos. Our collection ranges from museum-quality works to more modest but still excellent works for private collectors, whether novice or sophisticated. We also have a selection of books that will enhance your appreciation of your collection.
Baffled by syllabic signatures? Learn how to interpret them by using our guide, Deciphering Inuktitut Signatures, and our Inuit Artist Search Tool.
Regular gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday 1:30 - 6:00 pm, but it's always a good idea to call or email in advance in case we have an appointment out of the gallery.
Visit our website
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