Hungry Fisherman, an early masterpiece by the famous Kitikmeot artist, was carved perhaps only a year or two after his marvelous Drum Dancer (Lot 133). We can see that Ullulaq’s expressionistic carving style is almost fully developed and adaptable to any subject matter and psychological circumstance. Precisely what these are, however, is open to interpretation! Clearly the fisherman is excited, but it is unclear if he wields his knife to carve up his catch or to ward off those of us who might wish to share or steal it. His facial expression is almost frenzied; perhaps he realizes that he will choke if he doesn’t slow down. We’re not sure if we should be horrified or amused. This mixture of psychological ambiguity, angst, and a large dollop of humour would become trademarks of Ullulaq’s mature style. In this sculpture the artist makes relatively scant use of inlay or secondary materials; by the end of the decade these features would feature more prominently in Ullulaq’s work.

References: For Ullulaq’s marvellous Excited Fisherman from c. 1984 see First Arts Auction, 1 December 2020, Lot 23. For another example of a similar subject by the artist see Darlene Coward Wight, Art & Expression of the Netsilik, (Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2000), cat. 149; the section on this important artist in Wight’s Netsilik catalogue is extensive, pp. 152-171. See also Innuit Gallery of Eskimo Art, Ooloolah Spence Bay (Toronto: 1983), solo exhibition catalogue; Canadian Arctic Producers, Judas Ooloolah (1983), solo exhibition catalogue. For more thematically related works see Ingo Hessel, Arctic Spirit: Inuit Art from the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum, (Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre/Phoenix: Heard Museum, 2006), pp. 126-127.