George Aden Ahgupuk

George Aden Ahgupuk (October 8, 1911–April 1, 2001), also called Twok (Tuwaaq in the Modern Iñupiaq orthography), was an Eskimo-American artist known for his paintings and drawings of Inupiaq life.[1] In addition to works on paper, Ahgupuk created ink-wash artwork on various surfaces, such as bleached walrus skin and caribou hide.[2] He was one of the first Eskimo artists to make drawings instead of traditional ivory engraving.[3] Ahgupuk's work is the permanent collection of institutions including the National Museum of the American Indian,[4] the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery,[5] the Alaska State Museum, the University of Alaska Museum, and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.[1]

George Aden Ahgupuk
Twok
Born(1911-10-08)October 8, 1911
Shishmaref, Alaska
DiedApril 1, 2001(2001-04-01) (aged 89)
Alaska
Websiteahgupuk.com

Early life

Ahgupuk was born on October 8, 1911, in Shishmaref, Alaska, at the northwestern tip of the Seward Peninsula.[1][6] His Inupiaq name, Twok, means "man" (Tuwaaq in modern Inupiaq orthography) .[1] His father was a fisherman, and Ahgupuk grew up in a one-room sod igloo.[7] As a child, Ahgupuk attended a government-sponsored school in Noorvik where his brother Ben was a teacher. He did not care much for reading, but enjoyed drawing pictures.[6]

In 1930, Ahgupuk traveled 200 miles by dog team to visit the nearest dentist, in Nome, Alaska. On his way home, he camped near Cape Prince of Wales and hunted for ptarmigan. While hunting, Ahgupuk slipped and fell down a steep hill, breaking his leg against some boulders. As medical care was scarce, the broken leg was untreated and bothered him until 1934. At that time, an Office of Indian Affairs nurse urged him to seek further care.[6]

At the Indian Service hospital, it was discovered that Ahgupuk was suffering from a tuberculosis infection of the bone.[7] He was admitted to the hospital and spent six months recovering. During that visit, he occupied himself by drawing on some toilet paper, the only available drawing surface. A nurse named Nan Gallagher was impressed with his art and purchased some paper and crayons for him, commissioning some Christmas cards for pay. Other nurses and doctors soon purchased his work, and Ahgupuk was able to return home with $10 earned from his artwork.[6]

Career

Realizing he could make a living from his artwork, Ahgupuk began creating more prolifically. He also developed a proprietary technique for bleaching caribou hides for his purposes. By 1936, he had attracted widespread attention; in particular the artist Rockwell Kent championed Ahgupuk's artwork in publications including The New York Times and Time.[6][8] Commercial publishers began to purchase his work for mass reproduction, including for Christmas cards.[7]

In the 1940s, Ahgupuk was asked to illustrate a collection of stories for the United States Indian Service called Igloo Tales, written by Edward L. Keithahn.[9] He would go on to illustrate other books about Alaskan life.

In 1955, both of Ahgupuk's arms were badly burned in a fire, and doctors grafted skin from his legs onto his arms. However, by the end of 1955, he wrote that he was able to return to drawing.[10]

Artistic style

Ahgupuk's illustrations utilize ink wash shading combined with thick outlined subjects. His subject matter typically included coastal village scenes, people fishing and hunting, dog teams, and northern animals.[3]

Works as illustrator
  • Igloo Tales by Edward L. Keithahn, 1945 ISBN 088240038X
  • The Last Frontier: A Short History of Alaska by Ben Adams
  • I Am Eskimo, Aknik My Name, by Paul Green (Aknik), 1959 ISBN 0882400010

References
  1. "George Twok Aden Ahgupuk's biography". www.ahgupuk.com. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  2. King, Jeanne Snodgrass (1968). American Indian painters; a biographical directory. Smithsonian Libraries. New York : Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.
  3. Ray, Dorothy Jean; Board, United States Indian Arts and Crafts (1969). Graphic Arts of the Alaskan Eskimo. U.S. Indian Arts and Crafts Board.
  4. "Man and Wife Fishing | National Museum of the American Indian". americanindian.si.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  5. "Caribou Roundup". www.npg.si.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  6. Keithahn, Edward Linnaeus (1945). "The Artist". Igloo Tales. Haskell Institute.
  7. Indians at Work. Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs. 1942.
  8. "Eskimo Artist Is Called Genius". The Decatur Herald. February 11, 1937. p. 5. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  9. Ray, Dorothy Jean (1961). Artists of the tundra and the sea. Internet Archive. Seattle, University of Washington Press.
  10. "George Ahgupuk Is Painting After Receiving Burns". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. October 18, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
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