Pitseolak’s earliest creatures often carry with them a fantastical strangeness, whether through their posture or their invention. At the urging of James Houston, and with the influence of her cousin Kiakshuk, she began filling the page with what she playfully called “little monsters.” One of the most endearing results is Playing Kickball with Demons.

At first glance the print is almost unassuming. The palette is restrained, the outlines spare. But the longer you look, the more the uncanny begins to press forward. The human figure seems to radiate joy, perhaps even laughter, yet across the field the demons watch with expressions that defy us to name them. Are they companions in the game, or conspirators in mischief? The answer slips away just as you think you have found it, leaving the scene balanced on the edge of delight and unease.