Tim Pitsiulak

Cape Dorset

(1967 – 2016)

Tim Pitseolak was born in Kimmirut (Lake Harbour) to prominent artists Napachie (deceased) and Timila Pitseolak. Tim lived in Cape Dorset for a few years, and worked in a renowned lithography studio with visiting arts advisor, Bill Ritchie. He was an accomplished carver and jewellery-maker, but was best known for his drawings.

Tim began drawing and carving as a young boy and later took up printmaking. He was influenced in his early years by the work of his aunt Kenojuak Ashevak. Tim’s realist drawing style focuses on the land and its wildlife. He was a hunter and his respect for the natural world was intrinsic to his artistic sensibility. More recently he had begun to chronicle the everyday – drawing large format, meticulously detailed depictions of boats, heavy equipment and airplanes. These are the machinery of modern life in Cape Dorset.

Tim often used photographs taken during his hunting expeditions, as well as those of others in the community, as the basis for his own drawings. He freely shared his “visual catch” with his fellow artists. The photographs and drawings provided evidence of his love of the land and of the north – revealing his attachment to place, to the rituals of the hunt, and to the pleasures of providing for his family. The artist’s graphic approach earned him respect in the contemporary Inuit art world and he was increasingly known for his intricate yet large-scale drawings that often challenge common stereotypes by depicting a modern Arctic reality.

The artist’s career was featured in the 2012 summer issue of The Walrus magazine and Tim was the feature artist for the Fall 2008 Inuit Art Quarterly. The Art Gallery of Ontario included his work in their publication (2010) and exhibition Inuit Modern: The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection (2011). Tim has also attended a Residency Program at Red Deer College.