Peter Boy Ittukadlak

Inuit artist Peter Boy Ittukadlak

Puvirnituq

Peter Qumaluk Ittukadlak, primarily known as “Peter-Boy” Ittukadlak, was born in Puvirnituq in 1954. He comes from a family filled with skilled artists, and thus, it was no surprise to anyone that he became an artist himself. He began to carve at the tender age of eight, following the steadfast encouragement of his grandfather, Pauloosie Oolutaju Itukadluk.

Peter made the decision to become a professional sculptor after participating in the Willowdale sculpture exhibition in Ontario in 1976. When he isn’t producing beautiful soapstone carvings, Peter can be found either hunting and trapping, volunteering with community sports programs, or creating other incredible artworks through printmaking.

He currently lives in Puvirnituq with his wife and their two children.

Peter’s carvings are remarkable for their animated style. His renderings of human figures and animals are alive with tension and movement that is not simply implied, but fully realized in dramatic poses: a bear digs his claws into the soft underbelly of a walrus, a hungry child clutches at a chunk of meat held out to it by its mother. Occasionally Peter enhances the vulnerability of the figures by depicting them naked; frequently, their theatrical sense of drama stems from the single gesture of an extended hand or a menacing paw.”

– Excerpt courtesy Inuit Art Section, Indian and
Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), 1997

Works by this Artist (Present + Past + Public)

Present Works

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