AISA AMITTU (ISA; AVILIAJU; AMMITTU; AISAAPI; AMATTUK; AMITUK)Born: September 6, 1951 Male E9-1976Resides: Akulivik; also lived in PovungnitukSculpture, Prints, PrintmakingAisa Amittu was born on September 6, 1951 in Povungnituk where hecompleted five years of formal education at the local federal school. Aisahas two brothers (including the artist Johnny Amittuk), and two sisters.Although he recently took up residence in Akulivik he maintains his ties withPovungnituk and especially with the Povungnituk carvers whom he frequentlyvisits.Aisa began to carve when he was about fourteen years old. He learned thevarious carving techniques by watching his father, the famous artistDavidialuk. Aisa favours traditional carving themes such as mythologicalcreatures, Inuit legends, and scenes of the hunt. His carvings tend to besolid and heavy, and convey some sense of the original stone. Aisa'sadherence to highly representational depictions of the figure are reminiscentof the work of established Povungnituk sculptors such as his father andJuanisialu Irqumia.EXHIBITIONS:November 1981 Arctic Quebec Sculpture/Toni OnleyWatercoloursHouston North GalleryLunenburg, Nova Scotia(illustrated catalogue)December 1983 Artists of Arctic QuebecInuit Gallery of VancouverVancouver, British Columbia(illustrated catalogue)October 1988 Inuit Legends in StoneCanadian Guild of Crafts QuebecMontreal, Quebec(illustrated brochure)1989 Povungnituk Print Collection(annual collection)(illustrated catalogue)June 1990 - July 1992 The First Passionate Collector: TheIan Lindsay Collection of Inuit ArtWinnipeg Art GalleryWinnipeg, Manitoba(tour)(illustrated catalogue)June - August 1991 Aux frontieres de l'imaginaire inuitGalerie du Trait-CarreCharlesbourg, Quebec(illustrated brochure)February 1992 Contact Grandeur Nature:Exposition d'arts amerindien et inuitdu QuebecMinistere de la Sante et des ServicessociauxQuebec, Quebec(brochure)June - October 1992 Nouveau Territoires...350/500 Ans Apres, Presented at les maisonsde la culture Cote-des-Neiges, Notre-Dame-de-Grace, and Rosemont-Petite PatrieMontreal Recreation and CommunityDevelopment Service and les AteliersVisions PlanetaireMontreal, Quebec(tour)(illustrated catalogue)November 1993 - March 1994 The Inuit ImaginationWinnipeg Art GalleryWinnipeg, ManitobaSeptember - October 1994 Kunst van de Inuit Eskimo'sGemeentelijk KunstcentrumHuis HellemansEdegem, Belgium(illustrated brochure)November - December 1995 MiniaturenInuit GalerieMannheim, Germany(brochure)SOLO EXHIBITIONS:1988 Aisa AmittuInuit GalerieMannheim, Germany(illustrated catalogue)November - December 1989 Aisa AmittuMichel Tetreault Galerie ContemporainMontreal, QuebecMarch - April 1993 Filiation et dissidence: Aisa AmittuPeintures - Sculptures - GravuresLa Galerie Le Loup De GouttiereQuebec, QuebecCOLLECTIONS:Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, QuebecNational Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, OntarioWinnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, ManitobaSELECTED REFERENCES:Desy, JeanKAVISILAQ: IMPRESSIONS NORDIQUES: Oeuvres de Aisa Amittu.Quebec: Editions du Loup de Gouttiere, 1992.SELECTED REFERENCES: (continued)Inuit GalerieAISA AMITTU. Mannheim, Germany: Inuit Galerie, 1988.Inuit Gallery of VancouverARTISTS OF ARCTIC QUEBEC. Vancouver: Inuit Gallery ofVancouver, 1983.Noel, MichelNUNAVIMIUT: ART INUIT = INUIT ART. Pointe-Claire, Quebec:Roussan en collaboration avec l'Institut cultural AVATAQ, 1992(Collection LE TAMBOUR).Seidelman, Harold and James TurnerTHE INUIT IMAGINATION: Arctic Myth and Sculpture.Vancouver/Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, 1993.Vision PlanetaireNOUVEAUX TERRITOIRES: 350/500 ANS APRES: Une exposition d'artaborigene contemporain du Canada. Montreal: Vision Planetaire:Ville de Montreal: UNESCO, 1992.--------------------------

Exhibitions

• Aisa Amittu, Inuit Galerie
• Aisa Amittu, Michel Tetreault Galerie Contemporain
• Arctic Quebec Sculpture/Toni Onley Watercolours, Houston North Gallery
• Artists of Arctic Quebec, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
• Aux frontieres de l'imaginaire inuit, Galerie du Trait-Carre
• Contact Grandeur Nature: Exposition d'arts amerindien et inuit du Quebec, Ministere de la Sante et des Services sociaux
• Filiation et dissidence: Aisa Amittu Peintures - Sculptures - Gravures, La Galerie Le Loup De Gouttiere
• Inuit Legends in Stone, Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec
• Kunst van de Inuit Eskimo's, Gemeentelijk Kunstcentrum Huis Hellemans
• Miniaturen, Inuit Galerie
• Nouveau Territoires... 350/500 Ans Apres, Presented at les maisons de la culture Cote-des-Neiges, Notre-Dame- de-Grace, and Rosemont-Petite Patrie, Montreal Recreation and Community Development Service and les Ateliers Visions Planetaire
• Povungnituk Print Collection *88/89, (annual collection)
• The First Passionate Collector: The Ian Lindsay Collection of Inuit Art, Winnipeg Art Gallery
• The Inuit Imagination, Winnipeg Art Gallery

Collections

• Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull
• National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
• Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg