Anita Issaluk (Inuit, 20th-21st century), Dancing Bear

carved and polished black stone, underside with incised artist signature and retains Canadian Eskimo Trade-Mark (Igloo Tag) label.
13 in.
Anita was born and raised near Chesterfield Inlet located on the west coast of Hudson Bay. She began carving in 1996 after watching her father carve when she was a child. She also has learned from, and worked with, other well-known Inuit artists such as George Arlook, Alex Alikashuak and Lucy Tasseo. In addition to being a sculptor, she is multi-talented as she is also a singer/musician and painter. Her work has been exhibited across North America and abroad.
Her work has been recognized in the Inuit Art Quarterly (Vol. 14, No. 4, Winter 1999, pgs. 25-27, 34-35). Some of her favorite subjects include dancing bears, Sednas, mothers and children, owls, masks, and sea spirits. Before Anita begins a carving, she sees the image in the raw stone and, by working the stone, she releases the image from it. Anita’s carvings are wonderfully exuberant and beautifully balanced with minimal detail, flowing lines and gentle curves. She currently resides in Winnipeg, MB.
Biography courtesy of Inuit Art Society
From the Estate of the late Linda Kornberg, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.lelandlittle.com

Good estate condition; some minor abrasions to posterior.