OTTAWA Tudor Hall, 3750 North Bowesville Road Saturday, May 3rd, 2:00 pm
Walker's is pleased to present its sixth major sale of Inuit art, May 3rd, 2014 in Ottawa. We have assembled a group of important and interesting works, in all price ranges, that will appeal to both seasoned and novice collectors of Inuit and First Nations art. There are so many highlights on offer this spring that it is hard to know where to begin. We are very proud to present a superb Migration Boat by the legendary Nunavik artist Joe Talirunili. This work is one of Talirunili's earliest versions; beautifully carved, it manages to be both rustic and elegant. Among the other sculptural treasures, we are presenting one of John Kavik's most important works, a large and imposing Standing Figure; one of Andy Miki's most refined masterworks; excellent small works by John Tiktak; an impressive Miriam Qiyuk; gorgeous sculptures by Mathew Aqigaaq; a lovely Bird of Prey by Osuitok; and a great hunter self-portrait by Akeeaktashuk. We have several of Kenojuak's greatest prints from the earliest part of her career, including Multifeathered Bird, The Return of the Sun, Geese Frightened by a Fox, and of course her iconic The Enchanted Owl. These and several other great Kenojuak prints from all stages of her career are supplemented by three important drawings by her from the 1960s. Also in graphics, we have several iconic print images by Parr and other Cape Dorset artists of the 1960s, and beautiful prints and drawings by Pitaloosie Saila, Luke Anguhadluq and others from the 1970s. Jessie Oonark was at the height of her powers in the early-mid 1970s, both as a graphic and textile artist. We are honoured to present a stunning and important wall hanging by Oonark from this period. In First Nations arts, we are offering a powerful Thunderbird Mask from the turn of the last century, an exquisite 19th century Tlingit dagger, and an impressive pair of Plains Leggings. In a more modern vein, we have several early Norval Morrisseau acrylics, and two lovely originals by Benjamin Chee Chee. This is just a small sampling of the works on offer this spring. We have sculptures in stone, ivory, bone and antler, large and small, from the Canadian Arctic, Greenland and Alaska; a wide selection of graphics; beautiful dolls, baskets and rugs - the list really does go on and on. We strive to present the best and most interesting art available from all regions, by famous and lesser-known artists, and in all price ranges. As always, we are grateful to our many consignors, and we appreciate the support of our ever-growing group of collectors around the world. We invite your questions, comments and suggestions. Ingo Hessel Head, Inuit Art