Lukta Qiatsuk
Cape Dorset
(1928 – 2004)
Beginning in the late 1950s, Lukta Qiatsuk has been regarded as an important artist within the Cape Dorset region. He was a well-respected artist for this work in sculpture and printmaking. Owls were a favourite subject for him and he drew upon the natural inspiration of wildlife as well as an interest in transformational figures. His sons Padlaya Qiatsuk and Pootgoogook Qiatsuk are both considered successful and innovative carvers themselves.
Paunichea is his sister who is a recognized graphic artist as well as the mother of internationally-renowned carver Axangayu Shaa. Lukta’s father Kiakshuk was also an acclaimed artist and, during 1971-1973, both Lukta and his father had work featured in the travelling exhibition entitled “Sculpture/Inuit: Sculpture of the Inuit: Masterworks of the Canadian Arctic”.
“Lukta has played an integral part in almost every print collection from the West Baffin Eskimo Co-op since its spectacular debut in 1959, through 1980. He also worked with Jim Houston on the early experiments in 1957-58. Not surprisingly, Lukta is a master printmaker and has tried his hand at almost every medium –stonecut, stencil, stonecut/ stencil, sealskin stencil, lino, stone rubbing and engraving, and is also a stone block cutter. He returned to the printshop to help out in 1983 abd 1984, producing 3 stonecut and stonecut/ stencil prints. Lukta is also an outstanding sculptor.”
From Canadian Inuit Print Artist/ Printer Biographies,
Compiled and edited by Sandra B. Barz
Collections:
Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.
Amon Carter Museum of Western Art. Fort Worth. Texas, USA.
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario.
Art Gallery of York University, Downsview, Ontario.
Canada Council Art Bank. Ottawa, Ontario.
Canadian Guild of Crafts. Quebec, Montreal, Quebec.
Canadian Museum of Civilization. Hull, Quebec.
Firzgerald Collection, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Banff, Alberta.
GE Canada Inuit Art Collection. Mississauga, Ontario.
Glenbow Museum. Calgary, Alberta.
Inuit Cultural Institute. Rankin Inlet, Northwest Territories.
Klamer Family Collection. Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto, Ontario.
Laurentian University Museum and Arts Centre. Sudbury, Ontario.
London Regional Art Gallery. London, Ontario.
McMaster University Art Gallery. Hamilton, Ontario.
McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Kleinburg, Ontario.
National Gallery of Canada.