Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. Tudor Hall, 3750 North Bowesville Road, Ottawa
Walker’s is pleased and proud to present our fourteenth collection of Inuit and First Nations art, Wednesday, May 16, 2018 in Ottawa. It’s another terrific selection of works gathered from North American and European collections. We are happy to offer more masterpieces from several important American collections including the Albrecht Collection in Scottsdale, the Sam Wagonfeld Collection in Denver and the Joshua Pruzansky Collection in New York, as well as collections from Chicago, Minneapolis and other cities. We are also pleased to offer important works from Canadian collections including the estate of Peter Murdoch. In 1947, at the tender age of eighteen, Murdoch began a ten-year career as a Hudson’s Bay Company trading clerk and manager in several Arctic communities, managed the Patient Rehabilitation Centre in Frobisher Bay in the early 1960s (where many Inuit began carving), and devoted the rest of his life to building and nurturing FCNQ, the co-operative federation in Nunavik (Arctic Quebec). Peter Murdoch was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2015. Another collection of note is from the estate of the renowned pharmacologist Mark Nickerson, who came to Canada as a political refugee from the U.S. in the 1950s. He created one of the North America’s foremost departments of Pharmacology at the University of Manitoba, befriended George Swinton, and became an enthusiastic Inuit art collector. We are truly grateful to all of our Canadian and international consignors. The Inuit auction highlights are almost too numerous to mention. They include a rare and lively Boat with Hunters and Dogs by Joe Talirunili; the gorgeous and important large Untitled hanging by Jessie Oonark; a brilliant Figure by Karoo Ashevak; a fabulous Owl-Bear by Latcholassie; the stunning Owl and Walking Caribou by Osuitok Ipeelee; a powerful Salluit Mother Nursing a Child by Mary Irqiquq Sorusiluk; the imposing Janus-Faced Head by John Tiktak; a compelling Dancing Bear by Pauta Saila; two important early sculptures by Henry Evaluardjuk; an outstanding Mother and Two Children by Johnny Inukpuk; an important early Mother and Child by Judas Ullulaq; a riveting Mother and Child by an anonymous Inukjuak master; the wonderful Umiaq Adventure by Davidialuk; important sculptures by Luke Iksiktaaryuk, John Tiktak, John Kavik, John Pangnark, Lucy Tasseor and Jackoposie Oopakak; superb early Cape Dorset graphics by Kenojuak, Sheouak, Pudlo and Qabaroak; lovely Baker Lake drawings by Luke Anguhadluq, Oonark and others; beautiful textile hangings and a beaded amautiq; and terrific contemporary drawings and sculptures. First Nations highlights include a varied and important selection of paintings by Norval Morrisseau, including Onaman Beaver Blood Legend and Legendary Animals (both c. 1965) and Looking Above Oneself c. 1980; a rare, early and stunning Haida figural argillite composition c. 1830-1850; an important Haida model canoe with figures from the 1890s; a moving religious-themed Tlingit pole from the 1870s; and other lovely historical and contemporary sculptures and paintings. We offer our sincere thanks to the many collectors who support our efforts to bring Canadian Inuit and First Nations art to the world. We hope that you will enjoy viewing and reading this latest catalogue. Your questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please feel to contact me anytime. Ingo Hessel Head, Inuit & First Nations Art ingo@walkersauctions.com 1.613.818.2100