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Aisa Amittu

Load Photo Courtesy Avataq Cultural Institute

Biography

Aisa Amittu was a sculptor and printmaker from Puvirnituq, Nunavik. He learned to carve in his teens by watching his father, the renowned sculptor Davidialuk Alasua Amittu. Aisa Amittu created works that are grounded in a narrative, in particular focusing on Inuit mythologies and hunting practices. He was also known for combining several different themes and stories into one work [1].

In the late 1980s, Amittu created a series of linocut prints of Katjutaiyuk, a "frightening, bodyless monster with breasts as cheeks and a vulva as chin [2]." Katjutaiyuk Walking (1988/89) is a black and white print that depicts the creature walking along the snowy earth. Her shaggy hair covers most of her head/body. She has large eyes that sit just above her breasts, which form her cheeks. On her forehead and at the top of her cheeks are traditional Inuit tattoos. In another print, Katjutaiyuk is about to be captured. She is positioned with one leg straight out and looks as if she is about to kick the man standing in front of her. While the creature is described as frightening, Amittu's depiction of the exaggerated features and Katjutaiyuk's expressions seem humorous. Amittu's work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally in Germany and is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada and the Avataq Cultural Institute.



This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé en partie par le gouvernement du Canada.

Aisa Amittu est un sculpteur et graveur originaire de Puvirnituq, au Nunavik. Il a appris à sculpter à l’adolescence en observant son père, le célèbre sculpteur Davidialuk Alasua Amittu. Les œuvres d’Aisa Amittu sont fondées sur des récits, en particulier ceux qui s’inspirent des mythologies et des pratiques de chasse inuites. L’artiste se distingue également par ses combinaisons de divers thèmes et histoires en une seule œuvre. À la fin des années 1980, Amittu a créé une série de linogravures de Katjutaiyuk, un « monstre effrayant sans corps dont les joues sont des seins et le menton est une vulve ». Katjutaiyuk en promenade (1988-1989) est une linogravure noir et blanc qui représente la créature qui se déplace sur la terre couverte de neige. Sa chevelure hirsute couvre la majeure partie de sa tête et de son corps. Ses grands yeux sont placés juste au-dessus de ses seins, qui représentent ses joues. Des tatouages inuits traditionnels sont présents sur son front et vers le haut de ses joues. Une autre linogravure montre Katjutaiyuk sur le point d’être capturée. Une de ses jambes étendue devant elle, Katjutaiyuk semble s’apprêter à donner un coup de pied à l’homme qui se tient devant elle. Bien que la créature soit décrite comme étant effrayante, la représentation des caractéristiques exagérées et des expressions de Katjutaiyuk exécutée par l’artiste semble humoristique. Les œuvres d’Amittu ont été exposées à travers le Canada ainsi qu’en Allemagne et se trouvent dans les collections du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada et de l’Institut culturel Avataq.
ᐊᐃᓴ ᐊᒥᑦᑐ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑎ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᑎ ᐳᕕᖕᓂᖅᑑᒥᑦ, ᓄᓇᕕᒥᑦ. ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᓄᑲᑉᐱᐊᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᐅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᒍ ᐊᑖᑕᓂ, ᐅᓇ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑎᒻᒪᕆᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᐃᕕᑎᐊᓗᒃ ᐊᓚᓱᐊ ᐊᒥᑦᑐ. ᐊᐃᓴ ᐊᒥᑦᑐ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᑐᑭᖃᖅᑎᓪᖢᒋᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑦ, ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓪᓗᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᒍᓯᑦ. ᐅᓇᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᕈᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᒥᓄᑦ. ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᐊᑖᓂ 1980-ᓂ, ᐊᒥᑦᑐ ᓴᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑖᔅᓱᒥᖓ ᑲᑦᔪᑕᐃᔪᖅ, “ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᑎᒥᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᒃ ᐃᕕᐊᖏᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᓗᐊᕐᒥᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑦᓱᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᓪᓗᕐᒥᒍᑦ.” Katjutaiyuk Walking (ᑲᑦᔪᑕᐃᔪᖅ ᐱᓱᒃᑐᖅ) (1988/1989) ᕿᓂᖅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᑯᖅᑕᖅ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᒃ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᓱᒃᑐᖅ ᐊᐱᓯᒪᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᒪᓂᕋᖅ. ᓄᔭᖏᑦ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᑕᑭᓗᐊᒧᑦ ᑎᑭᐅᒪᔪᑦ ᓂᐊᖁᓕᒫᖓ/ᑎᒥᓕᒫᖓ. ᐃᔨᖅᑯᖅᑐᔪᖅ ᐃᒡᓯᕙᓲᖅ ᖁᓛᓂ ᐃᕕᐊᖏᖏᑦᑕ, ᐅᑯᐊᓗ ᐅᓗᐊᕆᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᖃᐅᖓᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑳᖓᓂ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᖏᑦᑕ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᒃᑭᔾᔪᓯᖏᓐᓂ. ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ, ᑲᑦᔪᑕᐃᔪᖅ ᐱᔭᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᐋᕿᒃᖢᓂ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓂᐅᓂ ᐃᓯᕕᑎᓪᖢᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐊᕿᓂᐊᖅᑕᖓ ᐊᖑᑎ ᓇᖏᖅᑐᑦ ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓂ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓄᕐᓗᖑᐊᖅ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓇᖅᑑᓪᓗᓂ, ᐊᒥᑦᑐ ᓴᕿᑎᑕᖓ ᐱᕕᒃᔪᐊᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᒍ ᐋᕿᒃᓯᒪᓂᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᑦᔪᑕᐃᔪᖅ ᑮᓇᖓ ᐋᕿᒃᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᑎᔅᓯᓇᖅᖢᓂ. ᐊᒥᑦᑑᑉ ᓴᓇᔭᖓ ᓴᕿᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᔮᒪᓂᒃᑯᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓯᒪᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᓇᑕ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᕙᑕᖅ.

Artist Work

About Aisa Amittu

Medium:

Graphic Arts, Sculpture

Artistic Community:

Puvirnituq, Nunavik, Inuit Nunangat

Date of Birth:

Artists may have multiple birth years listed as a result of when and where they were born. For example, an artist born in the early twentieth century in a camp outside of a community centre may not know/have known their exact date of birth and identified different years.

1951

Date of Death:

Artists may have multiple dates of death listed as a result of when and where they passed away. Similar to date of birth, an artist may have passed away outside of a community centre or in another community resulting in different dates being recorded.

2021

Igloo Tag Certified

The Igloo Tag Trademark is an internationally recognized symbol that denotes handmade, original artwork made by Inuit artists in Canada. Established in 1958, the Trademark is now managed by the Inuit Art Foundation. The appearance of the Igloo Tag on an artist profile means they have had the Trademark applied to their artwork.
Exhibition

Metamorphosis, 2006

Publication

I Always Wanted to Make an Elephant, 1999

Public Collection

National Gallery of Canada

Edit History

October 18, 2017 Created by: Inuit Art Foundation