About
Owl on Head
Owl on Head
Inuit carvings resembling Northwest Coast totem poles are curiosities specific to the Inukjuak (Port Harrison) area in the early 1950s. Their inspiration is still unclear. This much we know: James Houston travelled to the area multiple times from 1948 and 1950. In 1951 he published an instructional booklet, Sanajaqsaq (Eskimo Handicrafts), for Inuit artists, which included an odd drawing of an ‘Inuit-style’ totem pole. It is possible that Houston saw Inuit totem-like compositions, which inspired him to draw Northwest Coast-style poles, thus prompting artists such as Isa Oomayoualook to produce works in this hybrid style for years.