Maudie Okittuq

Maudie Okittuq is a sculptor from Ikpik (Thom Bay), NU currently residing in Talurjuaq (Taloyoak), NU. Okittuq moved to Talurjuaq in the mid-1960s and, by 1968, became among the first in her community to begin carving—starting first with whalebone before moving on to stone [1]. Okittuq’s work stands out as she continues to carve in stone despite most artists from Talurjuaq carving in bone due to the few quarries near the community [2].

Okittuq’s sculptures are typically carved from a single piece of soapstone or serpentinite, though she occasionally produces composite works. Skilled in emphasizing the natural changes in colour of the stone she carves, Okittuq’s sculpture Woman Giving Birth (1980) deftly employs the brown, white and grey transitions of the stone to echo the curves of the female figure’s body.

Drawing heavily from shamanic and supernatural themes, her figures are often caught in the process of changing between two or more animals. Her figures' heads are often elongated with large protruding noses and exaggerated lips in addition to small circular inset eyes. Okittuq has carved numerous interpretations of Sedna that generally depict her as having the face of a woman with rounded cheeks narrowed eyes and the body of a seal.

Okittuq’s sculptures have been exhibited within group and solo shows around the world—from Sante Fe, USA to Lyon, FR. Her work is held in major collections across Canada such including the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, ON, the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, QC and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, ON. Recently, Okittuq was one of five Inuit sculptors commissioned by The Walrus to carve an oosik (walrus penis bone) [3]. Her work has been featured twice on the cover of the Inuit Art Quarterly.