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Cape Dorset
Born May 27, 1963, Ningiukulu Teevee is the daughter of Joanasie Salomonie (deceased) and his wife, Kanajuk. Her father, Joanasie, was much loved in Cape Dorset for his sense of humour, mischief, and compassion. Ningiukulu works full-time for the department of Housing in Cape Dorset, and devotes her spare time to her family and whatever time she can to her drawing, which she does at home. Her husband, Simeonie Teevee, is a musician and plays with his band at community events in Cape Dorset and at music festivals around Nunavut.
Ningiukulu is steadily emerging as a versatile and intelligent graphic artist. Her prints illustrate the enduring appeal of graphic simplicity and the particular strength of the stonecut studio. Her pieces are beautifully printed with their nuance of stenciled colour; they show full use of lithography’s potential, with their bold, red backgrounds and clean lines. She also does softer pieces that depict traditional Inuit legends, such as of a woman who could not have children and so adopts a caterpillar as her own and raises it in her husband’s mitt. Ningiukulu is becoming more prolific as her experience and confidence grow, and is comfortable with both traditional and more contemporary themes and approaches.
In the fall of 2009, Ningiukulu ’s first children’s book was published by Groundwood Books (A Division of House of Anansi Press). Entitled Alego, it is an autobiographical story of a young girl named Alego who goes clamdigging with
her grandmother for the first time and, along the way, discovers all of the wonders of the seashore. The book was short-listed for the Governor General’s Literary Award for children’s illustration.
Her past has been a tremendous influence and she is particularly inspired by legendary stories of her people.
Since her first prints appeared in the collection in 2004, Ningiukulu has been one of Kinngait’s studio’s most celebrated artists. She has a comprehensive knowledge of Inuit legends and a fine sense of design and composition. These elements that have made many of her prints highly sought after by collectors. Ningiukulu has had numerous solo shows of her bold and resplendent drawings and some of her work has been featured in exhibitions in major public galleries and museums.
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