Untitled #151-0588

Ningiukulu Teevee was born on May 27, 1963, in Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut. She is the daughter of Joanasie Salomonie, a community leader known for his sense of humour, mischief, and compassion, and his wife Kanajuk. Her father-in-law is graphic artist Jamasie Teevee. Teevee is a self-taught artist who began her career in the 1990s, working primarily in ink and coloured pencils, though she is skilled in various drawing media including black fibre-tip pen, oil sticks, and watercolour.

Teevee's work blends imagery based on traditional Inuit stories with contemporary themes and a playful sense of humour. She draws from her comprehensive knowledge of Inuit legends and oral traditions learned from Elders, combined with observations of everyday life in the North. Her characteristic style features undulating lines, balanced compositions, fine detail, and broad areas of colour in a flattened two-dimensional approach. Her subjects often include owls, walruses, and seabirds, frequently depicted wearing kamiit, rubber boots, or parkas, reflecting both traditional and contemporary Inuit culture.

Teevee's prints first appeared in the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection in 2004, and she has been prominently featured in the collection since then. In 2006, Feheley Fine Arts in Toronto hosted her first solo exhibition, "Ningeokuluk Teevee: Drawings." She has had numerous subsequent solo exhibitions, including "Drawings by Ningeokuluk Teevee" at Feheley Fine Arts in 2009, "Ningiukulu Teevee: Kinngait Stories" organized by the Winnipeg Art Gallery at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, DC in 2017, and "Ningiukulu Teevee: Chronicles for the Curious" at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2023.

In 2009, Groundwood Books published Teevee's first children's book, "Alego," which she both wrote and illustrated. The autobiographical story follows a young girl named Alego who goes clamdigging with her grandmother for the first time and discovers the wonders of the seashore. The book was shortlisted for the 2009 Governor General's Literary Award for children's literature illustration. In 2023, Teevee won the Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award.

Teevee's work has been featured in numerous exhibitions across Canada and the United States, and her drawings have appeared twice on the cover of Inuit Art Quarterly. Her work is held in major public collections including the National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Canadian Museum of Civilization, and McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Teevee continues to create art that keeps Inuit stories and cultural traditions alive while addressing contemporary life in the North.