Piona Keyuakjuk

B. 1964 Panniqtuuq, NU —

Since his debut in the 2010 Pangnirtung Print Collection, Piona Keyuakjuk has contributed a dozen prints that are at times spiritual and at others humourous and occasionally quite dark. He is a skilled printmaker, excelling in linocut—a medium well suited for his bold, graphic transformation and hunting scenes. In two etchings from 2010, Self Defence and Witness, Keyuakjuk relays scenes of violence, an unusual subject for Inuit prints. Whether a commentary on the prevalence of violence in the media or representations of violence in northern communities, Keyuakjuk has used his platform as an artist to bring attention to an incredibly difficult, but important issue. With the reestablishment of printmaking in Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), NU, in 2018, Keyuakjuk will have the opportunity to continue to create works that unflinchingly present important issues facing

Inuit today.

COURTESY UQQURMIUT CENTRE FOR ARTS & CRAFTS Piona Keyuakjuk (b. 1964 Panniqtuuq) Self Defence2010Etching and aquatint 48 × 38 cm