Itee Pootoogook

Place: Kimmirut

Born: 1951

Death: 2014

Biography:

Itee Pootoogook was a celebrated Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU based artist known for his detailed and sensitive renderings of his community, its inhabitants, and the natural environment. Born in Kimmirut, NU in 1951, Pootoogook's family moved to Kinngait during his childhood, where he remained living and working.

Artistic Career

Pootoogook began his artistic career in the 1970s with sculpture and photography. Despite photography not being a readily accepted medium as part of the Kinngait art legacy, Pootoogook's work has a documentary quality that is a result of drawing from photographs. In 1973, his photographs were included in the National Film Board production "Animation from Cape Dorset." From 2000 to 2002, Pootoogook attended the Nunavut Arctic College for printmaking and drawing to hone his craft and grow his practice. Pootoogook used source photographs by Inuit artists as well as members of the community as the base for his drawings. His work has been written about by various publications, including the Inuit Art Quarterly.

Notable Works and Exhibitions

Pootoogook's first work to be part of the Cape Dorset Print Collection was "Looking South" (2008), a close-up image of a pair of kamiks. His prints are detailed and interesting, while his drawings reveal an ability to distil a moment and disrupt the viewer's expectations of a document. Pootoogook was the subject of many solo exhibitions and was part of multiple group shows across Canada and the United States. His works are in the public collection of both the National Art Gallery, Ottawa, ON and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON. Wikioo.org features Pootoogook's artwork, including his prints and drawings. To learn more about Itee Pootoogook and other Canadian artists, visit Itee Pootoogook on Wikioo.org.

• Pootoogook's artwork is characterized by its documentary quality and sensitive renderings of his community.
• His work has been written about by various publications, including the Inuit Art Quarterly.
• Pootoogook's prints and drawings are featured on Wikioo.org, a platform that showcases Canadian art.

Pootoogook passed away in 2014, but his legacy lives on through his artwork, which continues to be celebrated and exhibited across Canada. To explore more of Pootoogook's work and learn about other Kinngait artists, visit Wikioo.org.