Mattisui Iyaituk

I met Mattiusi Iyaituk in 1983. His great smile and his sense of humour impressed me in an instant. After seeing his sculptures and realizing his talent I did not hesitate in offering him a solo exhibition at Gallery Phillip. And I was not wrong. Many of the sculptures sold well before the opening. The tremendous impact Mattiusi’s carvings had on me brought him back for a second exhibition with Gallery Phillip.

Mattiusi, again, demonstrates his ability in bringing forward new and fresh carvings in a style different from the more traditional Inuit sculptures. These new pieces, unlike previous ones, are more complex technically as well as thematically. However a powerful energy still emanates from within. It is this power that attracts the viewer to the sculptures.

In these recent works, Mattiusi experiments with a variety of materials; stone is often combined with musk-ox hair and antler to create multifaceted figures, with expressive facial expressions. The artist’s use of antler is rather interesting, for it suggests the human body—the legs, arms and shoulders. Often the faces are stylized and exaggerated, giving the sculptures a dramatic effect.

Mattiusi’s use of words in the titles brings forward the underlying store in them. The expressiveness of the forms and complexity of the shapes make Mattiusi Iyaituk the Henry Moore of Inuit Sculpture.

— Phillip Gevik, Director