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i u a pi pu pa ti tu ta ki ku ka gi gu ga mi mu ma ni nu na si su sa li lu la ji ju ja vi vu va ri ru ra qi qu qa ngi ngu nga lhi lhu lha

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Ennutsiak, ᐃᓄᓯᐊ

Settlement: Frobisher Bay / Iqaluit

(1896-1967) — E7-603

Ennutsiak was a renowned and respected carver known for his skilful depictions of Inuit community life. Originally from Nunavik, Ennutsiak spent most of his life on the land travelling around Baffin Island eventually settling in Iqaluit. 

In Iqaluit Ennutsiak became an active community leader. As a sculptor Ennutsiak produced detailed carvings of daily life in the Arctic. His work often focused on intimate glimpses into Inuit households and communities. He frequently carved scenes of men butchering walrus and seals and created captivating portrayals of women giving birth. Children and families were also common subjects in his work and capture interactions across multiple generations.  Significantly, Ennutsiak rarely carved solitary figures, depicting people at least in pairs but often in gatherings. 

Ennutsiak was met with huge commercial success toward the end of his life and posthumously. His work has been featured in exhibitions in Canada, the United States and Europe and is held in permanent collections at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON, the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.


Exhibitions

  • Arctic Mirror, Canadian Museum of Civilization
  • Arctic Vision: Art of the Canadian Inuit, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Canadian Arctic Producers
  • Baffin Island, Winnipeg Art Gallery
  • Canadian Sculptors of the Arctic, National Gallery of Canada
  • Contemporary Canadian Eskimo Art, Gimpel Fils
  • Cultures of the Sun and the Snow: Indian and Eskimo Art of the Americas, Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal held at "Man and His World"
  • Eskimo Narrative, Winnipeg Art Gallery
  • Eskimo Sculpture, Winnipeg Art Gallery presented at the Manitoba Legislative Building
  • Inuit Masterworks: Selections from the Collection of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, McMichael Canadian Collection
  • Inuit Woman: Life and Legend in Art, Winnipeg Art Gallery
  • Les Eskimos/De Eskimo's, Studio 44 - Passage 44
  • Looking South, Winnipeg Art Gallery
  • On Collectors and Collecting: Selections from the Herb & Cece Schreiber Family Collection, The Art Gallery of Hamilton
  • Sanaugasi Takujaksat: A Travelling Celebration of Inuit Sculpture, Presented by Canadian Arctic Producers Ltd., with the assistance of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Ottawa
  • The Bessie Bulman Collection, Winnipeg Art Gallery
  • The Inuit Amautik: I Like My Hood To Be Full, Winnipeg Art Gallery
  • The Mulders' Collection of Eskimo Sculpture, Winnipeg Art Gallery
  • Ulu/Inua: Form and Fantasy in Eskimo Art, Casino Gallery, Ravinia Park

Collections

  • Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
  • Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull
  • Eskimo Museum, Churchill
  • Inuit Cultural Institute, Rankin Inlet
  • Manitoba Crafts Guild Collection,
  • Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal, Montreal
  • National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
  • Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg

Artwork

Title Last Sold At Auction
BIBLE STUDY 2008-11 (November 2008)
BIRTH SCENE 2012-11 (November 2012)
BIRTHING SCENE 2013-05 (May 2013)
BOY READING BIBLE 2018-05 (May 2018)
CHILDREN EMBRACING 2010-04 (April 2010)
CUTTING THE CORD 2012-04 (April 2012)
FAMILY ENJOYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 2009-11 (November 2009)
FAMILY MOVING CAMP 2011-11 (November 2011)
FAMILY SCENE 2009-11 (November 2009)
FISHERMAN ON ICE FLOE 2010-04 (April 2010)
HUNTER CARRYING AVATAQ 2014-11 (November 2014)
HUNTER WAITING OVER BLOW HOLE 2011-11 (November 2011)
HUNTER WITH A PACK 2009-04 (April 2009)
HUNTER WITH AN AVATUK ON HIS BACK 2011-05 (May 2011)
HUNTER WITH BOW AND ARROW 2019-11 (November 2019)
HUNTERS BUTCHERING A WALRUS 2013-05 (May 2013)
HUNTERS BUTCHERING WALRUS 2008-11 (November 2008)
INUIT BIBLE CLASS 2008-04 (April 2008)
LEAP FROG 2009-11 (November 2009)
MEN WITH UMIAK 2009-04 (April 2009)
MENDING CHILD'S AMAUTI, CA. 1960
MIDWIVES AND CHILD 2008-04 (April 2008)
MIGRATION SCENE 2011-11 (November 2011)
MOTHER AND CHILD 2008-04 (April 2008)
MOTHER AND CHILD READING A BIBLE 2010-11 (November 2010)
MOTHER COMFORTING CHILD 2010-11 (November 2010)
MOTHER WALKING WITH CHILDREN 2011-05 (May 2011)
MOTHER WITH CHILDREN 2017-05 (May 2017)
MOTHER WITH TWO CHILDREN 2019-05 (May 2019)
PIGGY BACK RIDE 2012-11 (November 2012)
SEAL FEAST 2017-05 (May 2017)
SEATED FIGURE 2008-04 (April 2008)
TRAVELING HUNTERS WITH HEAVY PACKS AND RIFLES IN SCABBARDS 2015-11 (November 2015)
TWO HUNTERS BUTCHERING A SEAL 2019-11 (November 2019)
UMIAQ MIGRATION 2019-05 (May 2019)
WHALE HUNTING 2010-04 (April 2010)
WOMAN SOFTENING SKIN 2013-05 (May 2013)
WOMEN PREPARING FOOD 2008-04 (April 2008)
WOMEN STITCHING TOGETHER SKIN FOR KAYAK 2020-09 (September 2020)

Recent Auction Results

MOTHER AND CHILD
Estimate: 700 — 1,000
Sold: May 2024 — Sold For: $687.50
MENDING CHILD'S AMAUTI, CA. 1960
Estimate: 7,000 — 10,000
Sold: May 2024 — Sold For: $5,750
WOMEN STITCHING TOGETHER SKIN FOR KAYAK
Estimate: 5,000 — 7,000
Sold: Sep 2020 — Sold For: $10,200
HUNTER WITH BOW AND ARROW
Estimate: 4,000 — 6,000
Sold: Nov 2019 — Sold For: $4,080
TWO HUNTERS BUTCHERING A SEAL
Estimate: 4,000 — 6,000
Sold: Nov 2019 — Sold For: $3,600
MOTHER WITH TWO CHILDREN
Estimate: 1,500 — 2,500
Sold: May 2019 — Sold For: $1,560

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