I am Eskimo

Includes news clipping dated 1959, signed letter from the artist dated March 3, 1960 and, the book 'I am Eskimo' - signed and illustrated by artist. This painting was custom framed with museum quality glass.
Ahgupuk is Inupiat Eskimo Artist from Shishmaref, Alaska. ".In 1934, while recuperating for several months in the hospital, Twok doodled and sketched the scenes from his village life. Having no artist paper, his first works of art were on toilet paper! One of George's nurses noticed his talent, and presented George with drawing paper, requesting that he make some Christmas cards, for her. With the money that he earned from the cards, he returned to the village realizing the potential to earn a living doing what he loved, drawing.

Without access to paper or drawing supplies, he asked his mother for animal hides to draw on. Seal skin was the first medium, and became one of his trademark. Twok developed his own technique for bleaching caribou/reindeer and moose hides. George was very protective of his bleaching secrets and shared his techniques with no one, not even his closest friends or relatives.

His artwork depicted scenes of village life, seal and walrus hunting, polar bear hunting, whale hunting, and Alaska scenery and wildlife. In 1937 George's artwork was featured in an article published by Mr. Rockwell Kent in the New York Times. Through years of correspondence, a friendship developed between the two, which opened many avenues for George's artwork. Mr. Kent urged George to illustrate Christmas cards. Other commercial projects developed later, including illustrating a book entitled Alaskan Igloo Tales by Edward L. Keithahn, The Last Frontier, a short history of Alaska by Ben Adams, and I Am Eskimo, Aknik my name by Paul Green and Abbe Abbott. George Twok Aden Ahgupuk died on April 01, 2001, in his home in Alaska.

Excerpt from http://www.ahgupuk.com/George%20Ahgupuk%20biography.html