JUANISI JAKUSI ITUKALLA (JACK; JOANASSIE JACK; JOANASEE; ITUKUDLUK;
AKPAKATAK)
Born: December 2, 1949 Male E9-1886
Resides: Puvirnituq
Sculpture, Prints
Juanisi Jakusi Itukalla, or "Joanassie Jack", as he is called, was born
just south of Puvirnituq on December 2, 1949. He and his family moved into
the community in 1957. Prompted by his father Aisa Avialiajuk Itukalla and
his uncle Levi Qumaluk, both of whom have reputations as superb artists,
Juanasi began to carve at about twelve years of age. His younger brother
Peter carves also, and through their mother they are related to that great
family of sculptors which includes Joe Talirunili and Davidialuk Alasua
Amittu.
Juanisi has developed a powerful, distinctively personal style that draws
upon his knowledge of Arctic fauna, ancient legends, and folklore. The
struggle for survival, which pits man against animal, animal against animal
and man against his environment, is a central theme of Juanisi's work. In
their regal beauty Juanisi's carvings eloquently convey the strength of the
Inuit culture and the bonds that unite all living creatures.
Juanisi has frequently demonstrated carving in Ottawa and Toronto, and
once at 'Man and His World' in Montreal. In 1985, he was profiled in a
documentary film entitled 'Inukshuk'. The film features Juanisi and his
family at their temporary summer camp; it documents the creation of one of his
sculptures - from quarrying the stone to the completed carving.
Juanisi is the brother to Peter Boy Itukalla and Maggie Ittukallak, nephew of
Levi Qumaluk.
EXHIBITIONS:
1967 Eskimo Art in Northern Quebec
presented by La Federation des
Cooperatives du Nouveau-Quebec
at "Man and His World"
Montreal, Quebec
(illustrated catalogue)
March - July 1975 Art/Inuit/Art: The Rothmans Permanent
Collection of Eskimo Sculpture
Rothmans of Pall Mall Canada Ltd.
Toronto, Ontario
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
1978 Arctic Quebec Sculpture
Vita Inuit
Pavia, Italy
August 1978 Sculpture d'artisti eschimesi
Casino Municipal
San Remo, Italy
1979 Arctic Quebec Sculpture
Images for a Canadian Heritage
Vancouver, British Columbia
March - April 1979 Sculpture of the Inuit: Lorne Balshine
Collection/Lou Osipov Collection/
Dr. Harry Winrob Collection
Surrey Art Gallery
Surrey, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
1980 A Taste of Arctic Quebec
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
1981 Arctic Quebec Sculpture
Somerstoun Studios
New York, New York, U.S.A.
April 1981 - Mar 1982 Inuit Art: A Selection of Inuit Art from
the Collection of the National Museum of
Man, Ottawa, and the Rothmans Permanent
Collection of Inuit Sculpture, Canada
National Museum of Man, Ottawa and
Rothmans of Pall Mall Canada Ltd.
Toronto, Ontario
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
September 1981 The Year of the Bear
The Arctic Circle
March - April 1983 Bering Sea to Baffin Bay
The Arctic Circle
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
June 1983 Miniature Show
The Guild Shop
Toronto, Ontario
December 1983 Artists of Arctic Quebec
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
1984 Povungnituk Print Collection
(annual collection)
(illustrated catalogue)
July 1984 Treasures from Canada's Arctic
Heritage Place
Uxbridge, Ontario
December 1984 Takamit - Canadian Eskimo Art: Selections
from Private Collections and the Government
of Canada
Organized by La Federation des Cooperatives
du Nouveau-Quebec and the Jane Voorhees
Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
Dec 1984 - Jan 1985 Visions of Rare Spirit
Museum of Indian Archaeology
London, Ontario
October 1985 Our Hoods are Full
Arctic Artistry
Hartsdale, New York, U.S.A.
June 1986 New Beginnings: a celebration of Native
expression at the first Native Business
Summit
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, Ontario
October - Nov 1986 The Art of the Eskimo
Newman Galleries
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
January 1987 Contemporary Sculpture from the Arctic
Arctic Artistry
Hartsdale, New York, U.S.A.
May 1987 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Les Arts de l'Enclos, Honfleur
France
October - Nov 1987 1987 Eskimo Art
Franz Bader Gallery
Washington, DC, U.S.A.
Dec 1987 - Feb 1988 Inuk, Inuit: Art et tradition chez les
esquimaux d'hier et d'aujourd'hui
presented by L'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai,
at Musee des Beaux-arts d'Arras
Arras, France
(illustrated catalogue)
1988 - 1990 Stories in Stone: Soapstone Sculptures From
Northern Quebec and Kenya
La Federation des Cooperatives du
Nouveau-Quebec
Montreal, Quebec
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
April 1988 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Palais de L'Europe, Le Touquet
France
July 1988 [L'art inuit]
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Chapelle de la Visitation, Thonon
France
October 1988 Tundra & Ice: Stone Images of
Animals and Man
presented by Orca Aart at the
Adventurers' Club
Chicago, Illinois
Dec 1988 - Jan 1989 Exposition thematique sur l'ours
L'iglou art esquimau,
Galerie de l'ours
Bourges, France
January - Feb 1989 The Early Years: Sculpture from the 50's
and 60's
The Innuit Gallery of Eskimo Art
Toronto, Ontario
(illustrated brochure)
February 1989 Arctic Images: Major Sculptures by Canada's
Leading Contemporary Eskimo (Inuit) Artists
at D/Erlien Fine Art Limited
presented by Orca Aart, Chicago
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
March 1989 White Lords of the Arctic: Bears in Stone
and Bone
Arctic Artistry
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.A.
June 1989 Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition
of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks
Presented by the Amway Corporation
at the United Nations General Assembly
New York, New York, U.S.A.
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
Dec 1989 - Jan 1990 Nounours vivant
Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
at Grife, Blois
France
May 1990 Early and Contemporary Sculpture and Prints
by Well-Known Inuit Artists
Arctic Artistry
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.A.
June - Sep 1991 Granville Island Canadian Inuit Sculpture
Exhibition (second exhibition)
Vancouver Inuit Art Society
Vancouver, British Columbia
February - March 1992 Recent Stone Sculpture from Arctic Quebec
Arctic Artistry
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.A.
May - June 1994 Share the Vision
Philadelphians Collect Inuit Art
Art Space Gallery
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
November 1995 Inspiration
Four Decades of Sculpture
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
1969 Joanassie Jack: Sculpture
Man and His World
Montreal, Quebec
1976 Joanassie Jack: Sculpture
Juliane Galleries
Toronto, Ontario
1980 Joanassie Jack, Sculpture
Juliane Galleries
Toronto, Ontario
COLLECTIONS:
Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario
Avataq Cultural Institute, Montreal, Quebec
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec
Musee de la civilisation, Quebec City, Quebec
Musee du Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec
Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
Rothmans Permanent Collection of Eskimo Sculpture, Toronto, Ontario
Saputik Museum, Povungnituk, Quebec
Toronto-Dominion Bank Collection, Toronto, Ontario
HONOURS, ACHIEVEMENTS and EVENTS:
1969 Demonstrated the art of carving in Ottawa, Toronto and at "Man and His
World", Montreal.
1982 Submitted a maquette for the stone decoration of the Parliament Buildings
in Ottawa.
1985 Was the subject of a documentary film entitled "Inukshuk" produced by
Bernard Beaupre in collaboration with La Federation des Cooperatives du
Nouveau-Quebec.
1988 With Peter Itukalla and Paulusie Novalinga, won first prize for a Quebec
sculpture in the International Sculpture Competition held at Quebec's Winter
Carnival in February.
1989 Demonstrated carving in Leningrad, USSR from November 28 to December 10th,
in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition 'Tundra Taiga', a joint
venture between the USSR and le musee de la civilisation de Quebec.
1990 Won the Popular Prize in the National Snow Sculpture Competition at the
Carneval de Quebec.
1992 Juanisi participated as a speaker at the Inuit Art Conference held at the
McMichael Canadian Art Collection in January.
SELECTED REFERENCES:
VIDEO ON INUIT SCULPTURE. Rencontre, vol. 7, no. 4, June, 1986.
p.19.
Eisemon, Thomas Owen
STORIES IN STONE = LA PIERRE RACONTE: Soapstone Sculptures from
Northern Quebec and Kenya = Sculptures de steatite du
Nouveau-Quebec et du Kenya. Ottawa: La Federation des
Cooperatives du Nouveau-Quebec and The Canadian Museum of
Civilization, 1988.
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
ARTISTS OF ARCTIC QUEBEC. Vancouver: Inuit Gallery of
Vancouver, 1983.
Marion Scott Gallery
INSPIRATION: FOUR DECADES OF SCULPTURE BY CANADIAN INUIT:
Curated by Norman Zepp. Vancouver: Marion Scott Gallery [1996].
Mitchell, Marybelle
PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO DREAM. North/Nord, vol. 21, no. 2,
March-April, 1974. pp.32-35. [Incorrectly cited as vol. 22 on
publication.].
Musee des Beaux-Arts (Arras, France)
INUK, INUIT: Art et tradition chez les Esquimaux d'hier et
d'aujourd'hui. Arras, France: Musee des Beaux-Arts, 1987.
Nigra, Pat
ESKIMO ART-A CANADIAN SYMBOL AROUND THE WORLD. Ottawa Journal,
September 17, 1969.
Noel, Michel
NUNAVIMIUT: ART INUIT = INUIT ART. Pointe-Claire, Quebec:
Roussan en collaboration avec l'Institut cultural AVATAQ, 1992
(Collection LE TAMBOUR).
Rothmans of Pall Mall Canada Limited
ART/INUIT/ART: La Collection Permanente de Sculpture
Esquimaudes Rothmans/The Rothmans Permanent Collection of Eskimo
Sculpture. No publication information, 1975.
Saucier, Celine
IMAGE INUIT DU NOUVEAU-QUEBEC: By Celine Saucier and Eugene
Kedl. Quebec: Musee de la Civilisation, 1988.
Trafford, Diana
TAKUSHURNAITUK: Povungnituk Art. North, vol. 15, no. 2,
March-April, 1968. pp.52-55.
Tulugak, Aliva
HE HAD A PRIMITIVE STYLE. Information North, Winter, 1986.
pp.10-11.
(c) Inuit Art Section, INAC 1995
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