SHEOUAK PETAULASSIE (1918-1961) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Men Meeting, 1960 #6
Printmaker: EEGYVUDLUK POOTOOGOOK (1931-1999) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
stencil, 19 x 12 in (48.3 x 30.5 cm)
22/50

ESTIMATE: $1,800 — $2,800

Provenance
Private Collection, Australia.

Although her life and career tragically cut short after producing ten prints for two annual collections, Sheouak Petaulassie left us with a truly striking collection of works. Men Meeting is a charming example of her playing with reflected imagery; the subtle asymmetry of the men, joined at the hands, is highlighted by the stark blocked ink on paper. The trio of clustered birds between them may well be the topic of conversation between them; their heads add a beautiful pop of colour to the scene. The legacy of Sheouak’s unique style is kept alive through her lovely prints and fascinating drawings, and by the fact that she designed the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative logo, still in use today.

References: For several original drawings by Sheouak see Jean Blodgett and Susan Gustavison, Strange Scenes: Early Cape Dorset Drawings, (Kleinburg: McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1993), pp. 106-111. There is limited information on Sheouak. For a brief overview of the artist, see Jean Blodgett, Kenojuak, (Toronto: Firefly Books, 1985), p. 43. Also James Houston, Eskimo Prints, (Toronto: Longman, 1971) p. 52-4.