Late artist left her mark on community

MIRIAM HILL

Ida Karpik, a well-known Pangnirtung artist, passed away early last month as a result of complications from heart surgery. She was 63.

Born in a traditional Inuit camp in Bon Accord on Baffin Island, Karpik lived in Pangnirtung since moving there with her husband, hunter and carpenter Joannasie Karpik, in 1964. At the time, according to Karpik’s recollections, families from camps on Cumberland Sound were moving to Pangnirtung to be near their children who were attending school.

Karpik left her mark on both the hamlet and arts community. She began to draw seriously in 1974 and worked for 28 years producing hundreds of original drawings on paper, showing different aspects of traditional Inuit life, birds and animals. Many of her drawings are still held in the archives at the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts in Pangnirtung.

Just before noon on a recent Friday, many of the printmakers at the centre had already left for lunch. Bright prints by the centre’s artists, including Andrew Qappik and Jolly Atagooyuk, hang on the walls. Abandoned paints and brushes stained with colour lay near unfinished prints.

Geela Sowdluapik was also getting ready to leave for lunch, but agreed to sit and share some memories of her sister (they have the same father, but their mothers were sisters).

Speaking through an interpreter, Sowdluapik said the relationship between she and Karpik, who was four months younger, was so close they often thought alike, almost like twins.

They spent a lot of time together, she said, and Karpik’s outlook on life was that she wanted everyone, including herself, to do well and be good. The happiest times were when they were doing things together, out on the land, she said, and one of the highlights of their relationship was when they each gave birth to their first child, only hours apart.

Sowdluapik is currently working on two prints of Karpik’s design, as her death occurred during the printing process for the annual Pangnirtung Community Print Collection. At least four of her works will be included in the 2002 collection, but in keeping with the tradition of retiring deceased artists’ imagery from further use, this will be the last time her work will be used.

Over the past 10 years, 24 of Karpik’s works have been used for prints included in the Pangnirtung collection, and 12 of her drawings have been used for tapestries created by weavers in the Pangnirtung Tapestry Studio. The most recent collection, in June 2001, featured nine prints based on Karpik’s drawings.

Artist Noah Maniapik, also lingering before leaving for lunch, said he too misses Karpik.

“She was very out-going, very friendly and always had something nice to say,” he said. “I would say she is also one of the original artists in the community, in my opinion.”

Maniapik wanders through the studio, pointing to prints made by Karpik, or based on her designs. He said it’s hard to pick what themes run through her work as it ranges from birds to shaman-related images.

“I’m really going to miss the kind of work she does,” he said. “It’s unique. There are very few people that do that kind of thing now.”