AISA AMITTU Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1951 -

AISA AMITTU (ISA; AVILIAJU; AMMITTU; AISAAPI; AMATTUK; AMITUK)

Born: September 6, 1951 Male E9-1976
Resides: Akulivik; also lived in Povungnituk
Sculpture, Prints, Printmaking


Aisa Amittu was born on September 6, 1951 in Povungnituk where he
completed five years of formal education at the local federal school. Aisa
has two brothers (including the artist Johnny Amittuk), and two sisters.
Although he recently took up residence in Akulivik he maintains his ties with
Povungnituk and especially with the Povungnituk carvers whom he frequently
visits.

Aisa began to carve when he was about fourteen years old. He learned the
various carving techniques by watching his father, the famous artist
Davidialuk. Aisa favours traditional carving themes such as mythological
creatures, Inuit legends, and scenes of the hunt. His carvings tend to be
solid and heavy, and convey some sense of the original stone. Aisa's
adherence to highly representational depictions of the figure are reminiscent
of the work of established Povungnituk sculptors such as his father and
Juanisialu Irqumia.



EXHIBITIONS:

November 1981 Arctic Quebec Sculpture/Toni Onley
Watercolours
Houston North Gallery
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
(illustrated catalogue)

December 1983 Artists of Arctic Quebec
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)

October 1988 Inuit Legends in Stone
Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec
Montreal, Quebec
(illustrated brochure)

1989 Povungnituk Print Collection
(annual collection)
(illustrated catalogue)

June 1990 - July 1992 The First Passionate Collector: The
Ian Lindsay Collection of Inuit Art
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)

June - August 1991 Aux frontieres de l'imaginaire inuit
Galerie du Trait-Carre
Charlesbourg, Quebec
(illustrated brochure)

February 1992 Contact Grandeur Nature:
Exposition d'arts amerindien et inuit
du Quebec
Ministere de la Sante et des Services
sociaux
Quebec, Quebec
(brochure)

June - October 1992 Nouveau Territoires...
350/500 Ans Apres, Presented at les maisons
de la culture Cote-des-Neiges, Notre-Dame-
de-Grace, and Rosemont-Petite Patrie
Montreal Recreation and Community
Development Service and les Ateliers
Visions Planetaire
Montreal, Quebec
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)

November 1993 - March 1994 The Inuit Imagination
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba

September - October 1994 Kunst van de Inuit Eskimo's
Gemeentelijk Kunstcentrum
Huis Hellemans
Edegem, Belgium
(illustrated brochure)


November - December 1995 Miniaturen
Inuit Galerie
Mannheim, Germany
(brochure)


SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

1988 Aisa Amittu
Inuit Galerie
Mannheim, Germany
(illustrated catalogue)

November - December 1989 Aisa Amittu
Michel Tetreault Galerie Contemporain
Montreal, Quebec

March - April 1993 Filiation et dissidence: Aisa Amittu
Peintures - Sculptures - Gravures
La Galerie Le Loup De Gouttiere
Quebec, Quebec


COLLECTIONS:

Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba


SELECTED REFERENCES:

Desy, Jean
KAVISILAQ: IMPRESSIONS NORDIQUES: Oeuvres de Aisa Amittu.
Quebec: Editions du Loup de Gouttiere, 1992.


SELECTED REFERENCES: (continued)

Inuit Galerie
AISA AMITTU. Mannheim, Germany: Inuit Galerie, 1988.

Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
ARTISTS OF ARCTIC QUEBEC. Vancouver: Inuit Gallery of
Vancouver, 1983.

Noel, Michel
NUNAVIMIUT: ART INUIT = INUIT ART. Pointe-Claire, Quebec:
Roussan en collaboration avec l'Institut cultural AVATAQ, 1992
(Collection LE TAMBOUR).

Seidelman, Harold and James Turner
THE INUIT IMAGINATION: Arctic Myth and Sculpture.
Vancouver/Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, 1993.

Vision Planetaire
NOUVEAUX TERRITOIRES: 350/500 ANS APRES: Une exposition d'art
aborigene contemporain du Canada. Montreal: Vision Planetaire:
Ville de Montreal: UNESCO, 1992.