Tim Pitsiulak

Tim Pitsiulak’s works have been a mainstay with the lithograph and print making medium of Inuit art. His works have garnished countless publications and notoriety around the globe including solo works in Switzerland, Germany and the U.S.

Tim took to various forms of artistic expression for many years. As a young boy, it was clear to others that he was gifted with drawing. This artistry eventually led to carving and printmaking. He was also very handy at jewellery-making and ran several workshops which were offered in Iqaluit, NU.

Pitseolak is one of the originating families who settled in Kimmirut back in the 1960’s. This is where Tim was born (called Lake Harbour at the time) in 1967. His father Napachie (deceased) was also a notable carver who was recognized for his first^st generation pieces. Up until his death, Tim resided in Cape Dorset. It was here that he has enjoyed working in the lithography studio and collaborating with visiting arts director, Bill Ritchie. This of course is the same studio that Kenojuaq Ashevak and Pootoogook contrived some of their internationally famous works.

The rugged nature and savagery of the Northern wildlife were initially the primary influences on Tim’s realist drawing style. More recently he has become a chronicler of the everyday, drawing large format, meticulously detailed depictions of boats, heavy equipment and airplanes – the machinery of modern life in Cape Dorset.

Tim is a hunter and his respect for the natural world and its wildlife is fundamental to his artistic sensibility. Tim is particularly inspired by the whales that frequent the cold, Arctic waters - the beluga and the bowhead - because, as he says, nobody really knows much about them. The bowhead in particular is a majestic and mysterious creature and frequently he will embellish his drawings of these animals with ‘tattoos’ of ancient artifacts.

His artistic career was recently featured in the 2012 summer issue of The Walrus magazine and in 2013 he attended a very productive printmaking workshop at New Leaf Studios in Vancouver.

Sadly, Tim Pitsiulak’s death in 2016 shattered the Inuit art world. He died at the young age of 49 from a heart attack. Here is the full story on CBC. Here are the final two prints available by him.