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JESSIE OONARK, O.C., R.C.A (1906-1985) QAMANI'TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
Kiviuk and the Grizzly, 1981 #9Printmaker MAGDALENE UKPATIKU (1931-1999) QAMANI'TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
linocut and stencil, 25.25 x 37.25 in (64.1 x 94.6 cm)
40/50This famous print faithfully captures a compelling episode from the Qiviuq (Kiviuk) legend, as depicted by Jessie Oonark in her original early 1970s drawing (offered in First Arts, 10 June...This famous print faithfully captures a compelling episode from the Qiviuq (Kiviuk) legend, as depicted by Jessie Oonark in her original early 1970s drawing (offered in First Arts, 10 June 2024, Lot 20). The composition blends varied spatial and chronological perspectives, beginning with Qiviuq observing a pool of birds. The scene then shifts indoors to a bear's den, where Qiviuq lunges toward the bear, whose aerial depiction highlights its role in the chase and impending threat. The story moves to a bulging stream, expanding at Qiviuq’s command, before gracefully returning to the calm of the birds. Set against a vibrant orange-pink sunset, Oonark broadens the narrative’s temporal scope by intertwining day and night with a radiant sun, crescent moon, and scattered stars.
References: The drawing for this work has also been reproduced in Jean Blodgett and Marie Bouchard, Jessie Oonark: A Retrospective, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1986), cat. no. 83, reproduced p. 91, syllabic inscription translated on p. 42-43. See also cat. no. 8 for a drawing of the Qiviuq story by Oonark from c. 1963.Provenance
Collection of John & Joyce Price, Seattle, WA.
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