Introduction

The tradition of fantastic sculpture has had—and continues to have—an important place in the history of modern Inuit art. From the early manifestations in the sculpture of Cape Dorset in the 1950s and Povungnituk in the late 1960s to more recent developments in the central Arctic communities of Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak (Spence Bay) and Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay), the fantastic tradition has given rise to some of the most powerful works to come out of the North in the last 50 years.

While not a comprehensive overview of the history of this significant and enduring tradition, Supernatural: Inuit Fantastic Sculpture does include examples from all the major schools and most time periods. The exhibition features works by such modern masters as Nick Sikkuark, Josiah Nuilaalik and Lukta Qiatsuk alongside examples by lesser-known artists including Timothy Jar and Peter Angutikirq. The fact that some of the pieces have been produced within the last year testifies to the tradition’s continuing vitality.

As the exhibition demonstrates, the fantastic in Inuit art assumes many different forms and shapes. While the majority of the works in the exhibition portray legendary or supernatural creatures including spirits and transforming shamans, some give imaginative or fantastical form to real (everyday) beings such as whales and fish. Similarly, some works express the feeling for the fantastic through a language of abstraction while others portray otherworldly subjects in styles that are themselves naturalistic.

Gallery Information

MARION SCOTT GALLERY
2423 GRANVILLE STREET
VANCOUVER, BC CANADA V6H 3G5
TEL: 604.685.1934
FAX: 604.685.1890
ART@MARIONSCOTTGALLERY.COM