 Drum Dancer, 1990 soapstone, seal skin hide, caribou antler, 33½" × 11½" × 17" (with drum) |
Quvianatuliak Takpaungai – Artist Biography
Quvianatuliak Takpaungai (male; b:1942); Inuit art sculpture carver; Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Canada.
Quvianatuliak Takpaungai was born in 1942 at Tunit (near Itidliarjuk). His father died when he was very young. His mother, Silaqi, remarried in 1947 to Nuvualla and moved to Lake Harbour.
In 1962, Quvianatuliak married Neevee. They now have 7 children. In 1970, they moved to Cape Dorset to stay.
The name "Quvianatuliak" means "going to a happy place". The artist currently lives about 40 miles northeast of Cape Dorset on Andrew Gordon Bay. He is considered one of the best hunters in Cape Dorset. When not hunting, he carves at his camp throughout the year. Quvianatuliak is a determined artist who enjoys his work and admits to carefully taking his time with each piece. He prefers carving green and black stone, which is only obtainable in the summer. During the winter, he finds other varieties of stone. Recently, he has worked with white marble, which is available near his camp.
Quvianatuliak has tried drawing in the past. Being very self-critical, however, he finds his drawings to be lacking. He prefers to carve instead.
Until his interview with Marion Jackson in 1979, the artist didn't understand where his carvings went after he'd sold them to the co-op. Upon learning their destination, he was pleased to discover that his southern audience enjoys his carvings as much as he enjoys creating them.