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Inuit Artist: Levi Qumaluk (1919-1997)
Disc Number: E9-843
Community: Povungnituk / Puvirnituq, northern Quebec, Canada
Medium: Grey stone (stained darker)
Measurements: 8.25"W x 6.75"H x 3.5"D (approx)
Weight: 3.26 kg, or 7.19 lb (approx.)
Signature/Mark: Signed in Roman script "LEVI" and numbered, with Igloo sticker
Year of Creation: Unknown
Place of Creation: Canada
Provenance: Private collector in Ontario, Canada
About the artist and his work
Levi Qumaluk (1919–1997) was a sculptor and graphic artist born in Puvirnituq, Nunavik, north Quebec. His carvings focus on the Inuit struggle for survival in extreme arctic climates. Common themes in his work include images of the mother and child, hunting narratives, and Inuit legends passed down from his grandfather. Levi used a precise carving technique that resulted in finely rendered details, such as braided hair, textured clothing, and seams.
Levi’s sculptures and prints have been exhibited in Canada, the United States, and Europe. They are held in a number of private, public, and corporate collections, including the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, the Musée des beaux-arts de Montreal, the Toronto Dominion Bank Collection, and the British Museum, London, UK, among others.
This sculpture depicts a mother doing the splits, with her child in amautiq. The mother is handless, related to the the Inuit Legend of Handless Sedna? Sedna is sometimes depicted in traditional Inuit sculpture and prints as a figure with no hands or fingers. Did the artist intend to show us the Inuit struggle for survival in extreme arctic environment?