Having now seen the wonderfully prolific career that Kananginak Pootoogook had, Two Sea Pigeons is all the more prophetic of works to come. A keen observer of the northern wildlife around him, Kananginak rendered these birds beautifully; gliding across the page, the two sea pigeons (or black guillemots) sport the distinctive white patches on their wings, while the ink is mottled in a similar fashion to their iridescent summer feathers. Like many of his bird depictions that followed, these are shown as a pair, possibly flying off to their new nest for the season. A stunning showing for the first annual collection.

References: This early print by Kananginak is featured in the Inuit Art Quarterly, Vol. 34.3, Fall 2021, p. 33.