Thomasie Alikatuktuk

Thomasie Alikatuktuk was an Inuit artist and master printmaker born in Tuapait, a traditional outpost camp near Pangnirtung on Baffin Island, Nunavut. Raised in the Cumberland Sound region, he developed a deep connection to northern wildlife, oral history, and Arctic marine life, which later formed the central thematic foundation of his artistic work.

Alikatuktuk established his career in Pangnirtung, where he became a key figure in the community’s printmaking studio operated by the Pangnirtung Eskimo Co-operative. Working primarily as a printmaker and drawer, he specialized in stencil printmaking techniques and relief printing, rendering detailed compositions of Arctic fauna, sea mammals, hunting traditions, and Inuit spiritual narratives. He frequently collaborated with other prominent Pangnirtung artists to translate original drawings into limited-edition fine art prints.

In 1977, Alikatuktuk’s master print work gained prominent international recognition when his print "Taleelayu and Family" was selected for the cover and promotional poster of The Inuit Print / L'Estampe inuit, a landmark touring exhibition organized by the National Museum of Man (now the Canadian Museum of History) and the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. That same year, he represented the Pangnirtung print shop at the national Printmaker's Conference in Ottawa.

Throughout his career, Alikatuktuk expanded his artistic practice beyond printmaking to include stone sculpture and mixed-media works. His career-long contributions to northern visual culture earned him a significant role in preserving local community history and traditional Inuit knowledge within Nunavut.

Works by Alikatuktuk are held in major public and institutional collections across Canada, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife. He lived and maintained his artistic connections in Pangnirtung until his death in 2009.