Tupilykker

For many years I have worked with oil paintings.
From time to time I have worked with other materials to keep me in the playful and curious corner. This is why I felt the need to try my talent on sculptures.
During the summer of 2009 I started making sculptures in bronze.

In February 2010 I started making "Tupilykker". They are 3-14cm (1.2-5.5 inches) in height and the price vary from 500 Danish Kroner and upwards. Every sculpture has a force of life and brings luck and strength which I hope they can pass on to their surroundings. I get the inspiration for "Tupilykker" from the Greenlandic "tupilakker". During my many journeys to Greenland I've come to love these wonderful and fearful "tupilakker". Originally the "tupilak" was an unlucky creature made by people who knew black magic. With these "tupilakker" they could pass on sickness and death to the people they held a grudge against. The "tupilak" can appear in many different forms but can only do their deadly deed against the person appointed by their creator. Should the receiver be stronger at the black magic than the creator the "tupilak" would turn on the creator and eat him/her. Thus, it was very risky indeed to create a "tupilak".
Today the "tupilak" is made by artists and it is completely risk-free having them on display.

It gives me great pleasure and fulfillment to create the "tupilak"-subspecies, the "Tupilykker".
They start life as a soft wax figure and after a great deal of work they take their place as a bronze figure on a stand of black schist or beautiful rainbow-jasper.

I hope they will bring luck and happiness, wherever they end up.

Bente Ekander