George Aden Ahgupuk

George Aden Ahgupuk (October 8, 1911–April 1, 2001), also called Twok (Tuwaaq in the Modern Iñupiaq orthography), was an Eskimo-American artist known for his paintings and drawings of Inupiaq life. In addition to works on paper, Ahgupuk created ink-wash artwork on various surfaces, such as bleached walrus skin and caribou hide. He was one of the first Eskimo artists to make drawings instead of traditional ivory engraving. Ahgupuk's work is the permanent collection of institutions including the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Alaska State Museum, the University of Alaska Museum, and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. His Inupiaq name, Twok, means "man" (Tuwaaq in modern Inupiaq orthography) . As a child, Ahgupuk attended a government-sponsored school in Noorvik where his brother Ben was a teacher. He did not care much for reading, but enjoyed drawing pictures. Commercial publishers began to purchase his work for mass reproduction, including for Christmas cards. He would go on to illustrate other books about Alaskan life.

In 1955, both of Ahgupuk's arms were badly burned in a fire, and doctors grafted skin from his legs onto his arms. However, by the end of 1955, he wrote that he was able to return to drawing.

Artistic style Ahgupuk's illustrations utilize ink wash shading combined with thick outlined subjects. His subject matter typically included coastal village scenes, people fishing and hunting, dog teams, and northern animals.

Works as illustrator

Igloo Tales by Edward L. Keithahn, 1945 The Last Frontier: A Short History of Alaska by Ben Adams I Am Eskimo, Aknik My Name, by Paul Green (Aknik), 1959