Northern Nightmares: Monsters in Inuit Art

Dates:

May 7, 2024 - March 23, 2025

Location:

Arctic Museum main galleries

The landscapes and seascapes of the Arctic appear bleak and barren to those unfamiliar with the region, but Inuit know that they teem with life. Sea mammals and fish are abundant beneath the ice, and vast caribou herds graze on the tundra, willing to present themselves to respectful hunters. Inuit also know that among the animals they hunt to feed their families lurk more dangerous creatures. Monsters roam the land and swim in the icy waters, tempting the unwary into dangerous situations, stalking human prey, and even exacting revenge on behalf of malevolent humans. Come explore the world of monsters as envisioned by Inuit artists from the past and present.

Selected Works

Monsters in the Water

In 1892 Iñupiat artists included monsters among the subjects of drawings they made for an American missionary at Siuġaq (Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska). Although pencil and paper were new to the Iñupiat, images of monsters were not.

Palraiyuk or Tizheruk is a lizard-like creature with many sharp teeth and multiple stomachs that lurks in shallow water, ready to devour people near the water’s edge. It poses a particular danger to kayakers. In the 1800s, people painted images of a Palraiyuk on their kayaks as a way of warding off danger.

Monsters in the Air

Tiŋmiaqpak is a huge eagle, capable of carrying a whale in its talons. It also preys on humans and can easily capture a kayaker. Tiŋmiaqpait often live in pairs in huge nests on the tops of mountains, where they raise their families.

Monsters on the Land

Hunters encounter various monsters on the land, from giant animals to transforming spirits. Lucassie Ikkidluak has carved a man struggling with an enormous otter that has managed to get its foot caught in a trap intended for a smaller animal. Levi Kudluarlik and Sabina Qunqnirq Anaittuq both depict hunters facing human-like creatures that have large heads and upraised arms.

Mythical Monsters

Inuit, like people all over the world, tell stories about encounters with monsters. Some are cautionary tales, warning of dangerous places and risky behaviors. Others tell of people cleverly overcoming perilous situations. Many describe the fearsome creatures that one might encounter and how to avoid falling prey to them.

Two-Faced Monsters

Nancy Pukingrnak invented these “two-faced monsters” with green bodies and included them in a number of her drawings and prints. They are malevolent creatures with a vampire-like attraction to human blood. Here they threaten a woman, as her husband tries to rescue her.

Creating a Monster

Carvers in East Greenland began creating images of tupilaks and other mythical creatures. They soon discovered that the more grotesque a piece was, the better their Western buyers liked it. A recognizable style developed, featuring grimacing, toothy mouths and exposed skeletal elements, but individual artists still found room to express themselves.