Luke Anguhadluq

Canadian, 1895–1982

Drum Dance, 1970

coloured pencil, graphite on paper, T/P 1/2

102 x 65.8 cm

Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Gift of George Swinton in honour of Dr. Ferdinand Eckhardt on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Winnipeg Art Gallery

G-83-107

Categories:

Drawing, Inuit

Anguhadluq lived on the land until 1967 when, at the age of 72, he took up residence in Baker Lake in the Kivalliq region west of Hudson Bay. He had established a reputation as a successful hunter and camp leader, and soon became respected in his new profession as a graphic artist. A major retrospective of his drawings, From the Centre: The Drawings of Luke Anguhadluq, was organized in 1993 by the Art Gallery of Ontario. As indicated by the title of the 1993 exhibition, Anguhadluq’s works were often organized around a central focal point. For the drum dance, one of his favourite themes, he usually arranged his figures radiating from around the central drum. The drum dance was held in a large, circular snow house on festive occasions, the circular composition reinforcing the sense of communal unity.