Pudlalik Shaa
to
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver 120 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver, British Columbia V7M 0G7
Pudlalik Shaa, "Dancing Bird," nd
Cape Dorset, serpentine, 6.5” x 10” x 3.5”
Born and raised in Arctic Canada’s most active artistic community, Pudlalik Shaa grew up watching his father and mother, Axangayuk and Kilabuk Shaa, reveal the figures within the stone they worked. Pudlalik learned to carve in the traditional manner, using hand tools such as an axe, rasp and chisel, to create the birds and other animals iconic of the far north. The influence of his father’s fluid lines persists in Pudlalik’s work, as seen in his delightful high-stepping goose, frolicking seals and stolid muskox. In addition to his balanced and delicately wrought carvings of single animals, he is also known for his drum dancers and beautiful transformation figures that combine different animals on a central pedestal foot. Pudlalik's work is well loved by collectors around the world.