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Ookpik Pitsiulak

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Ookpik Pitsiulak
Born1946 (1946)
Died2019(2019-00-00) (aged 72–73)[1]
RelativesPeter Pitseolak (father-in-law)[1]

Ookpik Pitsuilak (also known as Okpik Pitseolak)[1] was an Inuk carver and sculptor who worked in the Cape Dorset community of Inuit artists in Canada.

Early life

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Pitsiulak was born in Lake Harbour, Northwest Territories (now Kimmirut, Nunavut) in 1946.[2] She was raised in Lake Harbour and Cape Dorset (now Kinngait, NU),[1] where some of her relatives worked for the Hudson's Bay Company trading posts in the area.[3]

Artwork

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Pitsiulak worked in soapstone, often using female figures as subjects. She also worked in beadwork and incorporated beading into her sculptures. Her works are part of collections in the Canadian Museum of History, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.[3]

Pitsiulak also engaged in jewelry making and beadwork, which she learned from her grandmother. She took courses in jewelry making at Nunavut Arctic College.[1]

Advocacy

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Pitsiulak was a long-time member of Board of Directors of the Inuit Art Foundation and advocated for the interests of Inuit artists.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Remembering Okpik Pitseolak". Inuit Art Quarterly. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Pitsuilak, Oopik". Katilvik.com.
  3. ^ a b Inuit women artists : voices from Cape Dorset. Leroux, Odette, 1942-, Jackson, Marion E. (Marion Elizabeth), Freeman, Minnie Aodla. (1st paperback ed.). San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books. 1996. pp. 190–195. ISBN 9780811813075. OCLC 34894395.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)