SHARE:  
Join Our Email List
‌
AOM logo 600
‌
Wishing you a healthy, happy and vastly improved 2022!

We hope that you and your loved ones are well and safe, and that this year sees a return to something that we recognize as normal. More or less. But mostly more, we hope.

Nunavut declared an end to the state of emergency and all coronavirus restrictions on April 11. Nevertheless, there were still 89 active cases in Nunavut as of April 5. Residents can now get a second vaccine booster. We can only hope that the pandemic in Nunavut will peter out. The government has stopped releasing coronavirus statistics, so this will be our last update on the subject.

More on the legend of Lumiuk
‌
The December 2021 newsletter featured a discussion of the legend of Lumiuk, as depicted in one drawing and two prints. Very briefly, Lumiuk, having been abused by his mother and rescued by a loon, avenged himself on his mother by having her dragged into the sea. There, she was transformed into a narwhal, whose vocalizations resemble her name, Lumaaq.

This singular carving by Mattiusi Iyaituk takes the legend one step further, imagining Lumaaq as having adopted a narwhal baby. Many of Mattiusi's carvings portray people with an oval face embedded in the sculpture. Here, he has added a miniature narwhal's head next to Lumaaq's face. As is his custom, he included a title on the bottom of the sculpture: "Lumaaq and her adopted narwhal baby."
Although most of Mattiusi's sculptures feature beautiful, highly polished serpentine stone, here he has chosen what appears to be granite (which is the native stone of the Canadian Shield). Instead of polishing the surface, he has left it rough and textured. There is a strong flavor of sedna (another woman to half-marine creature transformation) about the carving. Lumaaq has kept her arms, but a stylish narwhal tail covers the lower portion of her body.
And, through serendipity, we have acquired another impression of Kiakshuk's brilliant print, Lumiuk and the Whales, also described in the December 2021 newsletter.
Kiakshuk, Lumiuk and the Whales
About
Alaska on Madison

In keeping with our self-description as a virtual gallery run by collectors for collectors, we offer a limited number of pieces. Every piece is one that we would be happy to have in our personal collection, and the description of each piece explains why. 

We are happy to assist you with inquiries, with searches for particular pieces or artists, with organizing your collections and with buying or selling at auction. Our Inuit artist search tool is available on our website, and we would be delighted to help you use it. If you prefer to puzzle things out for yourself, Deciphering Inuktitut Signatures will help you to identify artists. 
 
We are always pleased to answer questions or just chat. You can contact us by email or by phone at (908) 487-5757.

Our very best wishes to you all.

Ann and Michael Lesk
‌
Alaska on Madison | (908) 487-5757 | alaskaonmadison@gmail.com | www,alaskaonmadison.com