Lukta Qiatsuk

1928–2004

Lukta Qiatsuk, ᓗᑕ ᑭᐊᓱᑲ, (1928–2004) was a printmaker, graphic artist, and sculptor from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut. Lukta worked with James Houston on early experiments with printmaking in Kinngait between 1957 and 1958. During this period, he was able to experiment with nearly every printmaking medium, including stonecuts, stone rubbing and engraving, sealskin stencils, and linocuts, among others. Lukta created prints for the Annual Cape Dorset Print Collection between 1959 and 1980, and he was the main printer for over 200 prints during this period.

Inspired by the sculptures and prints of his father, Kiakshuk, Lukta began experimenting with art. His sister Paunichea was a graphic artist, and his children Padlaya and Pootoogook Qiatsuk are carvers. Lukta often translated his father’s drawings into prints using stonecuts and stencils. His own graphic work was particularly interested in owls and the mother and child figure. His exploration of the owl was rooted in his interest in wildlife and the owl as a transformational figure prevalent in Inuit oral histories.

Lukta’s work has been included in countless exhibitions, including Inuit Prints: Japanese Inspiration, a travelling exhibition on view from 2011 to 2012 organized by the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau. His work can be found in the collections at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery, among many others.

Artworks

Owl
Lukta Qiatsuk
(1928)
(2004)
Lukta Qiatsuk
(1928)
(2004)