POOTOOGOOK QIATSUK (b. 1959)

Pootoogook was born in Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut in 1959 and is a shaman, carver and printmaker. He learned carving at an early age from his father, master carver Lukta, who passed the skill down to him. Aside from carving, Qiatsuk studied printmaking at the West Baffin Eskimo Co-op, where he participated in eight of the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection exhibitions, later graduating from the Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit, where he studied in the Jewellery, Goldsmithing and Metalwork Program. He is known for carving animals and mythological subjects in great detail with signature markings that detail his work. The art of ancient masks is his favourite in Inuit subject-matter, reflecting his passion and belief in preserving authentic Inuit culture and traditions.

Pootoogook has exhibited widely and was included in the 1989 Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks that toured for multiple years. His work is found in many public and private collections in Canada, notably the National Gallery of Canada, and in collections worldwide. Qiatsuk is a member of the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association. He resides in Iqaluit with his wife and children.