Inuit Beautiful

Although seemingly a paradox for a culture required to brave the elements for survival, art has blossomed among the Inuit. In early times, Inuit carved amulets from ivory, antler and stone as part of their daily life and guiding spirits to keep evil away. In 1949, James Houston, an artist, went to the Arctic and discovered the beauty of Inuit carvings. Deeply impressed, he arranged an exhibition of Inuit sculptures in Montreal, which essentially sold-out within a few days and initiated commercial Inuit art. Imagine, knowing the date that a specific genre of art started! Houston returned to the Arctic and lived there for many years. He promoted Inuit art and brought printmaking to them. Today, art – sculptures and prints – pervades Inuit families and represents more than 25% of the Inuit economy.

My collecting Inuit art started accidentally, not by design or inheritance, when I was in my late forties. After spending the day skiing with my wife Lona and two sons in Vail, Alaskan and Inuit carvings displayed in the window of the Alaskan Shop attracted my attention. I ambled into the gallery.

I had not planned to collect Inuit art; it sprouted from me, serendipitously. What started as an attraction became a pleasurable activity, a hobby that grew in importance, then a love and a passion, which led to a significant collection that outgrew me. It was like a child that I conceived and nurtured  to an adult with its own autonomy.

Now that my collection is full grown, I think it has something to say. Please join me as I explore the artistic expressions that bloomed in frozen north.