Boy Fishing

In 1962, Klengenberg and her family relocated to Ulukhaktok, Canada. Here her father played a pivotal role in establishing print facilities and an artist cooperative. It is the only Western Arctic community boasting a thriving printmaking program – a response to the pressing economic development needs of Inuit communities across the Canadian Arctic. Her works capture the essence of life in the North, reflecting the region’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

Together with Mary Okheena and Mabel Nigiyok, Klengenberg devised an innovative stencilling technique. It uses mylar (a thin polyester film) and overlays to create prints featuring diverse tones and intricate colour layering.

In Boy Fishing, an Inuit boy in a kayak is catching salmon using a traditional three-pronged spear. The thin spikes are made from bone or ivory which are attached to a shaft usually made from driftwood.

Visual description: An Inuit boy in a pink parka and dark brown trousers leans over the side of a canoe. His face is hidden by a hood as he thrusts a three-pronged spear with a yellow shaft directly below into the water. Four salmon swim underneath the canoe. One has curled its tail, as if coming to a sudden stop in front of the spear. A fifth salmon floats on the surface, pierced by a second spear.