The 2001 Annual Cape Dorset Print Collection was dedicated to the memory of Mary Pudlat, who passed earlier that year after making her contributions to the collection itself. In the catalogue’s forward, amongst the Studio’s tribute to her, there is a line that sums up her work quite well.

“Mary has been a long-time contributor to the annual graphics collections, and an enthusiastic participant in all aspects of the print program at Cape Dorset. Her work is typically charming on the surface, but often contained complex references to another time and place.” 1

Many works in Pudlat’s career are recognizable for the joyous depictions of figures, animals, and spirits, many with colour, smiles, and limbs outstretched in action. Aspects of a more traditional life in the north are present throughout, such as decorated amautik, hunting tools, or a group of igloos, all of which are animated under Pudlat’s hand. Here, a traditional avataq, or sealskin float, becomes the canvas for a variety of arctic animals, including some that could be hunted with the aid of the avataq.