Drawing on the influence of her mother, Winnie Tatya, many of Gloria Inugaq Putumiraqtuq’s works focus on life on the land and the wildlife that is inseparable from the tundra. Using a wool duffle base with felt appliques and colourful decorative stitch work, this work shows that the north is far from empty; row upon row of birds fly and swim in formation to fill the upper half of the work, while many a caribou meander below them. Polar bears and seals anchor the bottom of the work, their fur and spots carefully stitched to give them life and texture. All of these creatures mill about the minimalist presence of humans in this work: two rock cairns that stand sentry in the centre of the composition. The scene could almost be a poster for the bounty that can be found in the north, and how we humans play a small part in it.

AC