Motiv fra et østgrønlandsk sagn (En fanger i kajak kæntres af kæmpesæl, tupilak) 1927 - 1928

Curator: There's such immediate drama in this pencil drawing from Kaarale Andreassen. He created this narrative scene between 1927 and 1928, and it's currently held at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. It is titled "Motiv fra et østgrønlandsk sagn (En fanger i kajak kæntres af kæmpesæl, tupilak)." That's "Scene from an East Greenlandic Legend (A hunter in a kayak capsized by a giant seal, tupilak)." Editor: It strikes me as ominous, despite its modest scale and earth-toned palette. The hunter's face is full of terror, and this creature emerging from the depths… it’s far from benign. I’d even venture to say it is something truly sinister here. Curator: Exactly. Andreassen, an Indigenous artist, tapped into deep-seated fears present in Greenlandic folklore. Seals are usually vital resources. Here, though, this one represents a "tupilak" – an avenging monster, animated through dark magic. Editor: The very act of creating a tupilak, imbuing it with malicious intent, becomes a form of resistance itself, a response to the injustices and intrusions of colonial forces on Greenlandic society and its spiritual beliefs. Curator: I read the kayak almost like a cradle being upended by a vengeful spirit rising from the subconscious. The artist captured the Inuit belief that violating the natural world invites retaliation. Notice how even the landscape behind seems to hold its breath, becoming witness and judge. Editor: Yes, a disruption of the balance. And what does it say that the hunter seems momentarily frozen? Unable to act against what rises before him? Perhaps a reflection of helplessness against overpowering forces? Curator: The drawing seems to illustrate a warning, a threat of disrupted cycles. Even though subtle in execution, its cultural symbolism speaks volumes. Editor: A crucial reminder of the power dynamics inherent in cultural narratives, this work connects the individual struggle of a hunter with larger themes of environmental and spiritual reckoning. A disquieting encounter, made vivid.