Known for its beauty, striking imagery and occasional whimsy, the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic, from such places as Cape Dorset, Greenland and Baker Lake, continue to create highly acclaimed contemporary art.  These wonderfully appealing works of animals in the Arctic and the Inuit people's unique way of life – tradition, beliefs, real and supernatural myths – spring vibrantly to life.

Physicality and a relatively modest scale make up the two defining features of an Inuit soapstone carving.  Stone, bone, antler and ivory – taken from the earth – comprise the majority of the raw materials being used by these sculptors.  Using the human or animal body as a starting point, it is then related directly to the physical or spiritual world rather than to philosophical and political ideas.

There is quite a special relationship between the artist and his/her material within an Inuit sculpture.  Inspiration stemming from shapes, textures and colours, provide an uncanny ability to visualize the final sculpture just by looking at the raw material.  To accommodate a general theme, artists may sometimes search for a piece of raw stone, bone or antler, but usually they study the available material until a suitable idea or composition is conceptualized.  For this reason, most Inuit carvers have no need for a rough sketch or a preparatory drawing.

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