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Artworks
MARY YUUSIPIK SINGAQTI (1936-2017) QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
Father Carrying a Child on His Shoulders, mid-1980sstone, 22 x 9.5 x 8 in (55.9 x 24.1 x 20.3 cm)
unsigned.LOT 117
ESTIMATE: $6,000 — $9,000Further images
Mary Yuusipik Singaqti began carving in 1964 and continued to work in stone for several decades. From the mid-1980s onward, she developed a particular fondness for carving on a relatively large scale, an unusual preference among the women artists of Qamani'tuaq. Standing nearly two feet tall, Father Carrying a Child on His Shoulders is a splendid example of this ambition, bringing considerable sculptural presence to a familiar and affectionate domestic scene.
Yuusipik gives the figures a wonderful sense of weight and movement. The father's substantial legs are spread wide, one foot slightly advanced, suggesting a slow, somewhat laboured stride beneath his considerable burden. Perched upon his shoulders, the child's slender legs dangle on either side of his face, their angular forms contrasting with the broad, softly rounded contours of the larger figure. Seen in profile, the projecting faces, overlapping limbs and pack suspended across the father's back form a particularly satisfying succession of shapes. Shallow incisions distinguish the cuffs, hems and seams of their clothing, while the gently smoothed surfaces lend the stone an almost fleshy softness.
For all its sturdy proportions, the sculpture has a delightful sense of humour. The father seems to sag beneath the combined weight of his son and his pack, while the child, apparently quite old enough to walk himself, looks distinctly unimpressed by the arrangement as well. Yuusipik captures this small domestic predicament with considerable warmth and wit, finding in the simple business of carrying a child a wonderfully expressive study of patience, persistence, and paternal affection.
FA
One of Jessie Oonark’s eight artistically talented children, Yuusipik is probably best remembered for her lovely wall hangings, which often illustrated fauna and landscape, and are notable for the beauty and subtlety of their embroidery. Darlene Coward Wight’s 2019 solo exhibition catalogue features mainly a series of late-career drawings, but Yuusipik began her art career in 1964 with carving, and she carved steadily for decades. From the mid 1980s on Yuusipik actually preferred to carve on a relatively large scale, unlike most women artists in Baker Lake.
This highly appealing sculpture of a father giving his son a piggyback ride is certainly large, but not unusually so. The work also fits with Yuusipik’s favourite subject matter: standing human figures. Wight’s catalogue illustrates a similarly tall Man and Pack Dog from 2001. And interestingly, a smaller carving of a man carrying a child on his back is also featured. The softly modelled contours of the figures in Father Carrying a Child on His Shoulders are typical for Yuusipik’s classic sculptural style, but the work has some atypical aspects as well. We can clearly see that the father’s body sags as he struggles to walk with the extra weight - after all, he is already carrying a backpack. And the son, who is clearly old enough to walk on his own, also seems unhappy about the situation. Oh dear.
Literature: For illustrations of several sculptures by Yuusipik see Darlene Coward Wight, Mary Yuusipik Singaqti: Back River Memories (Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2018). See also Darlene Coward Wight, The Faye and Bert Settler Collection (Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2004), pp. 104-105. For other subjects see First Arts Auction, July 2020, Lot 96; Walker’s Auctions, Ottawa, May 2013, Lot 1.
Provenance
Ex. Coll. Don Morgan, Toronto;
Acquired from the above by Fred and Mary Widding, Ithaca, NY, January 2001;
First Arts, Toronto, December 2020, Lot 54;
Acquired from the above by the present Private Collection, Montreal.
Exhibitions
Ithaca, NY, Handwerker Gallery, Gannett Center, Ithaca College, Of the People; Inuit Sculpture from the Collection of Mary and Fred Widding, 26 February - 6 April 2008, cat. no. 11.Publications
Cheryl Kramer & Lillian R. Shafer, eds., Of the People; Inuit Sculpture from the Collection of Mary and Fred Widding, exh. cat., (Ithaca, NY,:Handwerker Gallery, Gannett Center, Ithaca College, 2008), reproduced, cat. no. 11.
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