Ningiukulu Teevee
Born May 27, 1963, Ningiukulu is the daughter of Joanasie Salomonie (deceased) and his wife Kanajuk. Her father, Joanasie, was much loved in Cape Dorset for his sense of humour, mischief and compassion. Ningiukulu works full-time for the department of Housing in Cape Dorset, and devotes her spare time to her family and whatever time she can to her drawing, which she does at home. Her husband, Simeonie Teevee is a musician and plays with his band at community events in Cape Dorset and at music festivals around Nunavut.
Ningiukulu is one of the most versatile and intelligent graphic artists to emerge from the Kinngait Studios. In the fall of 2009, Ningiukulu’s first children’s book was published by Groundwood Books (A division of House of Anansi Press). Entitled Alego, it is an Autobiographical story of a young girl named Alego who goes clam-digging with her grandmother for the first time and, along with the way discovers all the wonders of the seashore. The book was short-listed for the Governor General’s Literary Award for children’s illustration.
Since her first prints appeared in the collection in 2004, Ningiukulu has been on of Kinngait’s studio’s most celebrated artists. She has a comprehensive knowledge of Inuit legends and a fine sense of design and composition. These elements that have made many of her prints highly sought after by collectors. Ningiukulu has had numerous solo shows of her bold and resplendent drawing and some of her work has been featured on exhibitions in major public galleries and museums. Her work has been featured in many publications including the Inuit Art Quarterly, which has included her drawings on the cover twice. In the Winter 2018 issue of the IAQ, Teevee’s work was included in the feature story on “Snap! Crackle! Inuit Pop Art” that examines how Inuit artists negotiate the continuous influx of southern culture in the North. Teevee’s works have been featured in numerous exhibitions across Canada and the United States including Ningiukulu Teevee: Chronicles for the Curious at the Art Gallery of Ontario (2023), Dorset Seen at the Carleton University Art Gallery (2013) and a 2017 solo show organized by the Winnipeg Art Gallery at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, DC. In May 2023 Teevee was shortlisted for the 2023 Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award.
Bio c/o Dorset Fine Arts & The Inuit Art Foundation
Public Collections:
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto ON
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa ON
Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, QC
Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg MB
