Qalupalik

Ice and water have shaped the way of life of Greenlandic people for generations. 80% of their country is covered in ancient inland ice; an area of 650,000 square miles.  Greenlanders, all 56,000 of them, face seaward, forced to live at the rocky edges of the land, a vast, uninhabitable interior at their backs.

A deep connection to the Arctic Ocean lies at the heart of Inuit culture, its icy depths a vital source of food.  In this most extreme of environments, the dark cold seas are life-sustaining but also perilous and there are many mythical tales of good and bad spirits who live under the frozen waters.

The story of the otherworldly Qalupalik is told by Inuit parents to prevent children from wandering too close to the dangerous shorelines.  These sea-dwelling creatures with long hair and green skin, hide beneath the surface of the freezing Arctic waters, and carry away unsuspecting children who play near breaking ice.

In September 2017 I journeyed north by fishing boat from Disko Bay in West Greenland to remote Ikerasak Fjord. Large fragments of drifting ice sliced through the black arctic waters, reaching far below the surface of the water into a mysterious third dimension.

PRINTS

Limited edition of 10.  Contact me for prices / availability.  A selection of images from the series is also available directly from The Last Supper Gallery,  London, SW11 6SF

BOOK

Qalupalik is available to purchase here as a Collector’s Edition handmade photobook  and is also on permanent display at the Kunst Museum, Ilulissat, Greenland and The Last Supper Gallery, London.