The intrepid James Houston first ventured into the Inuit art scene in 1948, and his work ignited a new interest in this once-forgotten artistic form. Since then, the art has continued to grow in popularity and desirability — and in value.
Inuit art crosses the chasm between ‘mainstream’ and contemporary art, folk art and even outsider art. These sculptures are sold in commercial art galleries, and held in collections in museums around the world. But despite their popularity and desirability, they have not always been taken seriously as art — until now.
Recently, two auctions — Toronto’s Waddington’s and Ottawa-based Walker’s — offered a variety of carvings, prints and wallhangings that were sold to collectors from all over the world. Considering the pandemic and the challenges that have beset the Canadian economy, both events had outstanding success, with ten records broken for Indigenous artists, led by Barnabus Arnasungaaq’s Muskox, which reached $84,000 when bidding closed.
Inuit Art Auction Specialists: What Makes Them Different
MIA is pleased to host Christa Ouimet, one of the leading Inuit art auction specialists in Canada, who has overseen Waddington’s biannual Inuit sale for 15 years. Her expertise has been recognized by partnerships for promotional events with esteemed organizations, including Adventure Canada, McMichael Canadian Art Collection and BirdLife International.
This spring, WAddington’s is offering a rare and important collection of Cape Dorset graphics. Some of the highlights include a forceful early sculpture of a muskox by Osuitok Ipeelee (lot 141) and a 1996 mixed media composition by Kenojuak Ashevak entitled Many Faces. Several of the pieces were acquired from the same private collection over a period of 19 years.
