“Carving…is something which Inuit do to earn their living and to show the world what kind of people they are…showing what is true….”

(Marybelle Myers, “In The Wake Of The Giant” in Blodgett, 18).

This collection showcases the remarkable depth and diversity of historic Inuit sculpture, featuring works by both recognized and anonymous artists. Together, these pieces reveal a tradition defined by expressive beauty, sensitivity, and strength.

Inuit sculptors, regardless of their region, share a profound respect for strong form, balanced volume, and the simplicity of line. They approach each stone with an awareness of its inherent character, seeking to harmonize its natural qualities with the vision of the creature or spirit within. Every stone carries its own message, and through skill and intuition, the sculptor reveals its inner form.

The result is a collection that not only celebrates the uniqueness of Inuit carving but also embodies its enduring vitality and artistry.

The collection draws from many settlements across the Canadian Arctic, each with its own distinctive carving stone and traditions.

Inukjuak, meaning “Giant” in Inuktitut, lies on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. Artists here work with steatite and serpentine quarried 40 miles from the village. These stones allow for smooth carving and reveal the sculptor’s sensitivity to the material’s natural flow.

Cape Dorset is renowned for its serpentine, ranging in color from light yellow-green to deep black. Though hard, it rewards skilled hands with the ability to create bold yet delicate lines and glistening, elegant finishes.

Iqaluit, “the place of many fish,” is near the Sylvia Grinnell River. Local sculptors have long carved the region’s stone into works that balance strong form with cultural expression, carrying forward traditions rooted in the land.

Puvirnituq, on Hudson Bay, is known for early works in fine-grained black argillite and locally quarried steatite. Sculptors often focus on traditional subjects, like birds, rendered with graceful clarity and carefully incised details that convey both form and spirit.

Salluit/Sugluk artists historically worked steatite to create scenes of survival—hunting, life, and resilience in the Arctic.  The community stands out for the contributions of women carvers, whose works added unique voices to the region’s artistic legacy.

Together, these stones—serpentine, steatite, argillite—carry the stories of their landscapes, shaped by sculptors who reveal both the strength of their traditions and the inner life of the material itself.

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­­________.  Povungniuk.  Winnipeg: The Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1977.

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