Humanities Information

The Different Styles of Inuit Sculptures


At first, all Inuit soapstone sculptures from the Arctic may look alike. However, there are variances in artistic styles among the different Inuit art producing communities. Although all communities produce Inuit sculptures featuring both animal and human subjects, some seem to do more animals while others do more people figures. Some communities make their subjects appear quite realistic with lots of high detail while in others, a more crude and primitive look is preferred. There are Inuit sculptures that have a highly polished finishes and some that are the complete opposite where they are left dull and unpolished.

Some areas specialize in producing small scale miniatures much like the artwork by their ancestors who first came into contact with white men. Inuit sculpture can range from quite conservative to bold or even wildly outrageous. Scenes can be playful like a piece depicting two Inuit children playing or with a sense of humor like a walrus waving. On the other end, transformation and shamanic pieces can look disturbing or even frightening to some. Hunting scenes can portray the gory realities of life and death in nature.

One thing that all Inuit sculptures have in common is that they show the fact that Inuit people have deep connections with their family life, their natural surroundings and spiritual beliefs. It is interesting to observe that even if some Inuit artists have converted to Christianity as their religion, they may still include Inuit spirituality and legends as a big part of their lives. This is portrayed in some of their Inuit sculpture and other artwork.

The differences in artistic style are partly due to the different types of stone and other materials available in each community as well as regional preferences. Of course there can be outside influences when Inuit artists travel from community to community. This is particularly the case with larger growing communities like Iqaluit which has seen an influx of Inuit from other parts of Nunavut ever since becoming its capital. One can find a variety and blending of Inuit art styles here. A longer version of this article which describes the different styles of Inuit sculptures from different Canadian Arctic regions can be found at the Free Spirit Gallery website.

Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca, an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.


MORE RESOURCES:

11/14/2024
Does geographical location impact educational disparities among Ecuadorians? A novel two-stage inequality decomposition method

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Published online: 14 November 2024; doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04068-0

Does geographical location impact educational disparities among Ecuadorians? A novel two-stage inequality decomposition method

more info


11/13/2024
Retraction Note: Examining the dynamics of pro-social rule-breaking among grassroots public servants

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Published online: 13 November 2024; doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04032-y

Retraction Note: Examining the dynamics of pro-social rule-breaking among grassroots public servants

more info


11/13/2024
Examining the emergence of new journalistic forms and innovation in the Indian newspaper industry

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Published online: 13 November 2024; doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04055-5

Examining the emergence of new journalistic forms and innovation in the Indian newspaper industry

more info


11/13/2024
How effective is digital transformation? Heterogeneous insights from listed companies’ ESG performance

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Published online: 13 November 2024; doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04039-5

How effective is digital transformation? Heterogeneous insights from listed companies’ ESG performance

more info


11/13/2024
Examining cosmopolitan learning among Chinese university students through internationalisation at home

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Published online: 13 November 2024; doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04027-9

Examining cosmopolitan learning among Chinese university students through internationalisation at home

more info


11/13/2024
Finance centralization—research on enterprise intelligence

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Published online: 13 November 2024; doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04098-8

Finance centralization—research on enterprise intelligence

more info


11/13/2024
The relationship of ethical leadership with teachers’ organizational behavior, attitudes, and perceptions: a meta-analysis study

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Published online: 13 November 2024; doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04070-6

The relationship of ethical leadership with teachers’ organizational behavior, attitudes, and perceptions: a meta-analysis study

more info


11/13/2024
Integrating Earth observation, biophysical, and survey data to evaluate the ecological impacts of a common land protection and restoration intervention in Rajasthan, India

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Published online: 13 November 2024; doi:10.1057/s41599-024-04057-3

Integrating Earth observation, biophysical, and survey data to evaluate the ecological impacts of a common land protection and restoration intervention in Rajasthan, India

more info



home | site map | contact us