Oopik Pitsuilak is an

Inuk Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and ...

carver and sculptor who works in the

Cape Dorset Kinngait (Inuktitut meaning "high mountain" or "where the hills are"; Syllabics: ᑭᙵᐃᑦ), formerly known as Cape Dorset until 27 February 2020, is an Inuit hamlet located on Dorset Island near Foxe Peninsula at the southern tip of Baffin ...

community of

Inuit art Inuit art, also known as Eskimo art, refers to artwork produced by Inuit, that is, the people of the Arctic previously known as Eskimos, a term that is now often considered offensive. Historically, their preferred medium was walrus ivory, but s ...

ists in Canada.

Early life

She was born in Lake Harbour,

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

, now Kimmirut,

Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...

, in 1946. Pitsuilak was raised in Lake Harbour and Cape Dorset, where some of her relatives worked for the Hudson's Bay Company trading posts in the area.

Artwork

Pitsuilak works in soapstone, often using female figures as subjects. She also works in beadwork, and incorporates beading into her sculptures. Pitsuilak's works are part of collections in the

Canadian Museum of History The Canadian Museum of History (french: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of C ...

, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitsuilak, Oopik Artists from Nunavut Inuit artists Inuit sculptors 1946 births Living people Inuit from the Northwest Territories Inuit from Nunavut People from Kimmirut People from Kinngait