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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Collecting Inuit Art The Inuit art market is showing strength on two fronts: early sculpture and graphics from the 1950s to the 1970s, and completely modern work by a young generation of Inuit artists. In May 2003, Feheley Fine Arts held two successful exhibitions featuring the leading edge of contemporary Inuit sculpture and graphics - Moving Forward: Works on Paper by Annie Pootoogook and Catching the Eye: Sculpture by Isaci Etidloie. These two emerging artists challenge preconceptions about the look and feel of 'Inuit' art; each is mindful of their artistic heritage yet firmly planted in contemporary art culture. Rather than fill her drawings with Arctic animals or scenes of nomadic existence reminiscent of the life lived by her famous grandmother Pitseolak Ashoona, Annie Pootoogook's drawings of modern Inuit home interiors, the social services office or the Iraqi war on television reflect her own experiences as a female artist living and working in contemporary Canada. Similarly, Isaci Etidloie's sculptural compositions stretch the physical limits of his varied materials in ways attempted by few of his peers. At the same time, his imaginative subject matter differs from perennial Inuit art market favourites. The other side of the coin also continues to dazzle, as treasures from the early period of contemporary Inuit art rejoin the market after years in private collections. Over the past decade, Feheley Fine Arts has proudly hosted exhibitions of museum-quality work from the mid-twentieth century, including the most sought-after examples of Inuit sculpture and graphics by Kenojuak Ashevak, Pauta Saila, Karoo Ashevak and Jessie Oonark, among others. Some of these works have come from significant named collections - such as the Klamer Family, Jack Butler and Sheila Butler, or Terry Ryan - but often they are offered for sale by individuals who prefer not to be identified publicly. In 2002, Feheley Fine Arts presented The Discreet Collector, an exhibition featuring superb works of Inuit art from anonymous collections. We continue to offer our clients valuable early Inuit artworks of varied scale, age and regional origin. Our June 2003 exhibition of early treasures, The Inuit Icon: Selections from Private Collections, confirms that there is no end in sight to the tide of fabulous Inuit art rejoining the market today.
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