Wayne Puqiqnak
Settlement: Gjoa Haven / Uqsuqtuuq
(1975)
Wayne Puqiqnak was born in Gjoa Haven in 1975. He comes from an important family of carvers and artists. His grandfather Nelson Takkiruq, father Uriash, and mother Lorraine were all carvers. Lorraine also works in crafts and jewelry.
Puqiqnak is known for working in the classic Kitikmeot style sometimes known as the “grotesque”. This style features expressive faces with crooked teeth, gaping mouths, wide eyes, and flared nostrils. He also often depicts the intensity of life in the Arctic through the spiritual presence of his figures. Puqiqnak combines depictions of traditional hunters and drum dancers of his culture with this distinct style to create work that is powerful and dynamic.
Puqiqnak was invited by the Inuit Art Foundation to take part in the Kitikmeot Carvers Symposium at the Ottawa School of Art in 1999. This program is composed of technical training and professional development over a span of two weeks. His work has also been collected by the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Collections
- Winnipeg Art Gallery
Artwork
| Title | Last Sold At Auction | |
|---|---|---|
| DRUM DANCER; FACE | 2012-03 (March 2012) | |
| DRUMMER | 2021-06 (June 2021) | |
| FIGURE CARRYING PAIL | 2011-11 (November 2011) | |
| HUNTER | 2014-09 (September 2014) | |
| HUNTER HURLING A HARPOON | 2011-11 (November 2011) | |
| HUNTER HURLING BOLA | 2016-09 (September 2016) | |
| HUNTER THROWING BOLAS | 2024-12 (December 2024) | |
| HUNTER WITH A SPEAR | 2012-02 (February 2012) | |
| HUNTER WITH CLUBS | 2011-09 (September 2011) | |
| HUNTER WITH SPEAR | 2011-11 (November 2011) | |
| INUK PLAYING A STRING GAME, 2000 | 2024-03 (March 2024) | |
| MAN WITH STRING AND KNIFE | 2014-01 (January 2014) | |
| MUSK OX SPIRIT | 2011-10 (October 2011) | |
| SEAL TRANSFORMATION | 2012-02 (February 2012) | |
| SEDNA | 2021-02 (February 2021) | |
| SHAMAN | 2019-11 (November 2019) | |
| SHAMAN TRANSFORMATION, CA. 2010 | 2026-02 (February 2026) |
