Papiara Tukiki

“I enjoy drawing animals and I’m amazed at how they survive up here in the north. Without them, my family would never have survived. I also draw people camping because I am reminded of old times when we lived on the land. Those were good times.”

Papiara has become a regular contributor to the Kinngait Studios this year. She is represented in the 2012 annual collection with five images. Her use of the repeat motif is treated to great effect in both lithograph and stonecut. Helping Hands (2012-16), a seemingly simple image is in fact a complex print requiring multiple plates to achieve the colourful results. The stonecut process is more straightforward but nonetheless compelling, especially in Crossing the Tundra (2012-20). Papiara’s simple forms capture the essence of her subject – whether it be human or animal or some combination of the two, as in her Loon Spirit (2012-17).

Born on Christmas Day, 1942, Papiara is married to Qopie Tukiki, a long-time employee of the community’s Housing Association. They live in Cape Dorset.

—Cape Dorset Print Collection, 2012