Luke Anguhadluq was among the first artists who responded to the initial efforts to establish an arts program in Qamani’tuaq in the early 1960s. Although the success of the print shop would not come until 1970, Anguhadluq, with his distinctive style, would become a mainstay image maker until his death in 1982.

One noticeable aspect of Anguhadluq’s style is his decision to omit any superfluous details. In Muskox, the animal, strong and solid, is presented centrally and in isolation on the page. Its electric green muzzle tilts downward to graze on the unseen vegetation. We also see Anguhadluq’s penchant for offering a mixed perspective. Here, the elongated blue body of the animal is shown broadside while its head is frontal so that we may enjoy its impressive horns.

References: The best introduction to the art and life of Anguhadluq is Cynthia Waye Cook, From the Centre: The Drawings of Luke Anguhadluq, (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 1993) and Marion E, Jackson, et. al, Qamanittuaq: Where the River Widens, (Guelph, ON: Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, 1995) as well as Marion E. Jackson, Baker Lake Inuit Drawings: A Study in the Evolution of Artistic Self-Consciousness, University of Michigan, PhD Dissertation, 1985; See also First Arts, Paper Pushers: Drawings from Qamani’tuaq, 11 May 2021.