Kananginak Pootoogook, Two Caribou, 2008–2009
Two Caribou, 2008–2009, by Kananginak Pootoogook (1935–2010), is a rich example of contemporary drawing from Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset), Nunavut, depicting two bull caribou locked in battle, perhaps over a mate. Hooves fly and antlers clash, lending a sense of immediacy to the conflict. This large-scale work by one of the studio’s first artists and printmakers is a landmark in the artist’s career, due not only to the technical quality of the work but also to its monumental scale—a trend that emerged in drawings from Kinngait in the early 2000s. Two Caribou was made almost exactly fifty years after Pootoogook started artmaking in 1959, and it demonstrates his growth as an artist and his deep expertise with drawing.
The McMichael is the steward of the Kinngait Drawings Archive, a rich collection of works from Kinngait from the late 1950s to 1990, including ninety-two works by Pootoogook, which can be searched on our digital archive Iningat Ilagiit.
Explore Iningat Ilagiit
Discover 90,000 works on paper from the Kinngait Drawing Archive, including 92 works by Kananginak Pootoogook
related articles
Morrice in Venice: A Curatorial Talk with Sandra Paikowsky
November 6, 2025This spring, the McMichael opened Morrice in Venice—transporting visitors to the canals, piazzas, and winding streets of Venice through the eyes of one of Canada’s most accomplished modernists, James Wilson Morrice (1865–1924).
David Hartman Captures Sandra Brewster’s Creative Process in New Short Film
November 6, 2025Back in 2021, the McMichael teamed up with the Koerner Foundation and the acclaimed Canadian filmmaker David Hartman to create a series of short documentaries that pull back the curtain on the lives and practices of some of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary artists represented in the McMichael’s collection. Each film offers an intimate glimpse into their studios and landscapes, inviting us to listen as they share stories of creativity, process, and the inspirations that shape their work.
Anne Low, Dream Meadow, 2023
November 10, 2025Dream Meadow, 2023, is a textile-based sculpture made by the artist Anne Low (b. 1981) in her former studio on Denman Island in British Columbia. The work comprises a long skirt and pocketed apron with attached adornments. The striped textiles used to create the skirt and its lining were handwoven by the artist on a loom with hand-dyed wool and silk, using eighteenth- and nineteenth-century weaving techniques and historic patterns.
Native Art Department International, Aanzinaago (Caught in a Transformation) 01,2024
November 10, 2025Last year at Art Toronto we acquired Aanzinaago (Caught in a Transformation) 01, 2024, by Native Art Department International (NADI), for the collection at the McMichael. NADI is a collaborative long-term project created and administered by the Ojibwe Anishinaabe performance artist, sculptor, and mixed-media artist Maria Hupfield (b. 1975) and the Chiricahua Apache and Mexican multimedia artist Jason Lujan (b. 1971).