Joe Talirunili

He is best known for carving a theme erroneously entitled "Migration," but which usually describes returning from his own baptism, his party stranded on a melting ice floe, fashioning a boat of sealskins and sled parts; and his own heroic sea rescues. Three other subjects dominate his repertoire and have designated him "the chronicler": heavily accoutered stone figures signifying wealth and status; stone-cut prints depicting summer or winter hunting scenes, often simultaneously; and enormous, overpowering owls, which are a regular feature of his work. His carvings and prints, nonconformist and crudely executed, command an emotional response and have a wide international representation in public and private collections.