Distinct Regional Carving Styles Of The Canadian Inuit

The Canadian Artic area covers 777,000 square milesBecause this area was the administrative center of
and includes thousands of artists whose styles varythe former Northwest Territories and because it
as much as the names of their Inuit communities.attracts Inuit from all over the Baffin region, the style is
However, artists rarely work in isolation. Living in smallmore varied than other settlements.
settlements, common styles and themes haveThe Pangnirtung artists also favor a dramatic style,
emerged. This article provides an overview of whatthough this usually emerges in the larger sizes of the
makes each region's sculpture style special.pieces and the subject matter of mythological or
Sanikiluaq * Kuujjuaraapik * Inukjuak * Puvirnituq *shamanic images. Whalebone is a popular medium.
AkulivikPangnirtung artists have moved to Qikiqtarjuaq and
Sanikiluaq sculptures are popular with art collectors andvice versa, so these two communities share a similar
tourists who favor wildlife sculptures. Birds and marinestyle. Qikiqtarjuaq artists also use whalebone, as well
animals are customary subjects, as well as domesticas a stone that ranges from light green to dark green
and camp scenes. In keeping with the wildlife theme,or black.
the style is naturalistic, though some artists favor aClyde River * Igloolik * Hall Beach
stylized, angular look.The Clyde River area is famous as the center of
An unusual argillite stone, which ranges from light greenwhalebone carving in the Artic - and also for the touch
to almost black, is another reason that Sanikiluaqof humor and whimsy artists employ in their sculptures.
sculptures are so popular.Subject matter can range from dancing walruses to
The Kuujjuaraapik style is similar to Sanikiluaq, butsimple domestic and hunting scenes.
includes more domestic and camp scenes. ArtistsThe Igloolik style is more similar to Pangnirtung than
sometimes employ fantasy imagery. KuujjuaraapikClyde River. Artists here use a larger scale in sizes
artists use the argillite stone from Sanikiluaq (whenand emotional intensity. However, the stone - which is
available) or grey Artic Québec stone.dynamically carved - isn't highly polished, so the end
The sculptures of Inukjuak are more realistic, featuringresult is more realistic and natural. Occasionally, artists
domestic and hunting scenes. Mythological imagery isuse a light green stone from northern Baffin.
rare. The sculptures have a static, calm feel - wideHall Beach also produces powerful, moving works
and curvy.similar to Igloolik, though some artists are known for a
In the past, Inukjuak artists used inlays like ivory in theirsofter-edged style that's similar to Clyde River.
sculptures, but this is no longer done. However, they stillTaloyoak * Gjoa Haven * Kugaaruk * Repulse Bay
use a rich green mottled stone quarried from the localTaloyoak is another community that uses the
area. When an artist uses grey stone, they oftenwhalebone medium - with large, spectacular results.
darken it.For a long time, work from this area was dominated
The Puvirnituq and Akulivik artists have movedand influenced by the artist Karoo Ashevak. His work
between the two settlements, so these two areashas a dreamlike quality that's also quirky - haunting, but
have a similar style. The subject matter - huntingamusing. But as artists began using an assortment of
scenes and animals - is considered more masculine.stone and concentrated on developing their own
The sculpting style is realistic with an emphasis onparticular styles, a wider variety of styles have
naturalistic detail.emerged.
Salluit * Ivujivik * KangirsukGjoa Haven has also been influenced by the Taloyoak
Like Inukjuak, Salluit and Ivujivik artists favor domesticstyle in the human and spirit expressions and distortion
and hunting scenes. The style is also more similar toof faces and bodies. However, artists are eager to
Inukjuak, but this wasn't always the case. At the startexperiment with different media like whalebone, ivory,
of the Inuit art movement in the 1950s, artists hereand musk-ox horn, and they have emerged as
developed a Romanesque-like style that had adominant in their own right.
monumental, static feel - think large folds of draperyThe artists still use stone, of course. In the past, they
over equally large, bulky bodies. However, this styleimported a pale green stone, but they now use a local
has died out.hard stone that ranges from dark green to black.
The folk art quality of Kangirsuk sculptures comesKugaaruk and Repulse Bay are renowned for small,
from subject matter that's rustic and a bit off-the-wall.delicate works in stone, ivory, or antler. The tradition of
The artists sometimes blacken the grey stone, whichcreating miniatures goes back hundreds of years,
gives the pieces a quaint effect.when talented Inuit created them as gifts for
Cape Dorset * Kimmirutmissionaries and whalers.
Cape Dorset has a large pool of talented artists withBaker Lake * Arviat * Rankin Inlet
varied styles. However, two common themes are:Baker Lake has two distinguishing characteristics:
* Love of naturalism* It's the only inland community in the Canadian Artic.
* Wildlife and the spirit world* It's famous for large, dynamic sculptures of hunters
Perhaps because of Cape Dorset's long history in theand animals carved from hard Keewatin stone.
Inuit art world, the style is more showy and dramaticThough the hunter and animal subjects are realistic, the
than other settlements. Artists like to work the stone -artists portray them abstractly. You'll also see
which ranges from green shades to white dolomite -animal-human transformations depicted more often. On
until it's highly finished. They also take pride in creatingthe other hand, female artists from this area favor a
pieces that are impossibly thin or delicately balanced.more delicate style, with domestic scenes like mothers
Like Cape Dorset, Kimmirut artists use a variety ofand children.
stone. Art collectors particularly prize the apple-greenWorking with a hard, local steatite, Arviat artists
or cream-colored shades. While the animal subjectsemploy little detail and economy of line with their
are depicted with a naturalistic style, the smooth,sculptures. It's different from the elegant, flowing style
flowing lines and highly polished stone create anof other communities, yet just as emotionally powerful.
elegant effect.In the Arviat area, family and maternal scenes are the
Iqaluit * Pangnirtung * Qikiqtarjuaqmost popular. However, artists here have
What's different about the sculptures from the Iqaluitexperimented with antler carvings and produced a
settlement is that animal subjects - bear, caribou, andvariety of whimsical birds and animals, as well as
musk-oxen - are often in unusual or action poses. Andgames and hunting scenes. The antler carvings have a
these pieces are even more eye-catching because offolk art quality.
their exaggerated proportions. However, Iqaluit doesRankin Inlet is like Iqaluit - a regional center with a wider
share Cape Dorset's love of elegant lines andvariety of styles. The artists here work with the dark
dramatic presentation.Keewatin stone, a harder grey stone, or ivory.