Fishing from Umiak
By Jonasie Faber
Greenland and British Columbia

"The umiak is one of the two principal traditional boats used by the Inuit, the other being the kayak. The umiak is used by the wife and kids to carry their possessions while the husband paddles in the kayak. It is also used for whaling and large fishing expeditions, and this is the subject of Faber’s piece. The multidirectional use of harpoons creates a dynamism that breaks the symmetry inherent to an otherwise monolithic, pyramidal composition. The warm touch of wood diverts the eye from the coldness of the stone and the repetitive pattern created by the heads of the fishermen."

— Felix Angel, Curator, IDB Cultural Center