Hunting in the Summer, 1976
by Davidialuk Alasua Amittu (1910-1976)
Povungnituk, Nunavik, Canada
stone cut and stencil, metal frame
21” high x 26” wide x 2” deep
Davidialuk Alasua Amittu was a widely respected storyteller from the Nunavgirnaraq winter camp in Nunavik, QC, who was greatly inspired by the traditional stories he heard as a child. Amittu lived mostly around the Kuugaluk and Puvirnituq rivers and settled in Puvirnituq, Nunavik, QC where he began his artistic career by carving using wood, ivory and stone. During these years, his technique developed rapidly and he expanded his artistic practice to include drawing before turning to printmaking in the 1970s.
Amittu found inspiration in oral history to convey new versions of old stories [1]. Although best known for his sculptures and prints portraying supernatural elements, Amittu’s work also frequently dealt with issues of survival—chronicling tragic events that were all too common among those living on the land. Amittu’s carvings and prints represent a visual record of important aspects of Inuit oral tradition. He excelled at representing tales of the hunt and otherworldly narratives with his prints known for their expressive formal qualities.
Amittu is highly revered nationally and internationally. His works are part of collections of Inuit art at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON, the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, QC, the Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB, the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal in Montreal, QC and the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON. His work has toured internationally across the United States, Europe and Asia. His work has also appeared multiple times in Inuit Art Quarterly and was on the cover of the Fall 2014 issue.
