Josiah Nuilaalik
TRANSFORMING ANIMAL
JOSIAH NUILAALIK (1928-2005), QAMANI’TUAQ (BAKER LAKE)
TRANSFORMING ANIMAL
stone, antler, signed in syllabics, circa 1990, Fine line present on surface, possible discrete repair. Overall very good condition.
Please contact the specialist for further condition information.
7.5 x 10.25 x 3.25 in — 19.1 x 26 x 8.3 cm
Note:
Born into a family of recognized artists, Josiah Nuilaalik, son of Jessie Oonark, created an important and highly distinctive body of work late in his life. [1] Nuilaalik’s sculptures explore images of the spirit world and of transformation. While to our eye, far from naturalistic in their anatomy, his figures often convey their weight and a sense of stilled movement with an exceptional clarity.
Although Nuilaalik is sometimes quoted as having said that he had not encountered the spirit images which he represented, this admission has been qualified by Harold Seidelman, once a patron of Nuilaalik’s, and author of The Inuit Imagination: Arctic Myth and Sculpture. Seidelman explains that Nuilaalik was very clear when asked where his images came from. In one instance Seidelman queried if an image of a serpent with a man’s head carved by Nuilaalik was a Biblical reference, “No!” replied Nuilaalik “This is real!”. [2]
In this exceptional sculpture Transforming Animal Nuilaalik gives a troubling form to a hulking creature with the face of a man and a body that seems simultaneously both caribou and bear.
References:
1. McMaster, Gerald, Inuit Modern, The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection, Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 2011. p. 37.
2. Seidelman, Harold, personal correspondence with the author February 17, 2022.
Estimate: $4,000—6,000
TRANSFORMING ANIMAL
stone, antler, signed in syllabics, circa 1990, Fine line present on surface, possible discrete repair. Overall very good condition.
Please contact the specialist for further condition information.
7.5 x 10.25 x 3.25 in — 19.1 x 26 x 8.3 cm
Note:
Born into a family of recognized artists, Josiah Nuilaalik, son of Jessie Oonark, created an important and highly distinctive body of work late in his life. [1] Nuilaalik’s sculptures explore images of the spirit world and of transformation. While to our eye, far from naturalistic in their anatomy, his figures often convey their weight and a sense of stilled movement with an exceptional clarity.
Although Nuilaalik is sometimes quoted as having said that he had not encountered the spirit images which he represented, this admission has been qualified by Harold Seidelman, once a patron of Nuilaalik’s, and author of The Inuit Imagination: Arctic Myth and Sculpture. Seidelman explains that Nuilaalik was very clear when asked where his images came from. In one instance Seidelman queried if an image of a serpent with a man’s head carved by Nuilaalik was a Biblical reference, “No!” replied Nuilaalik “This is real!”. [2]
In this exceptional sculpture Transforming Animal Nuilaalik gives a troubling form to a hulking creature with the face of a man and a body that seems simultaneously both caribou and bear.
References:
1. McMaster, Gerald, Inuit Modern, The Samuel and Esther Sarick Collection, Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 2011. p. 37.
2. Seidelman, Harold, personal correspondence with the author February 17, 2022.
Estimate: $4,000—6,000
Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Lot # | Low Est | High Est | Sold Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-17 | Waddington's | 11 | 4,000 | 6,000 | 5,040.00 |
