A small carving by George Alayco from Akulivik of a bear getting ready to eat a seal. The carving measures 3.5 inches by 3.5 by 3.75 inches. Not necessarily the most pleasant subject matter, but again a reflection of a life centered on living off the land. Each creature has its place in the fragile ecosystem. And, although this bear seams to be a well fed creature (look at his well rounded behind) , the overall plight of the bears in the arctic is quite uncertain with the pressures from "progress". I guess progress can be a loaded term.

Tutuiya Qatsiya, born 1966, is the carver of this impressive sculpture.








The dimensions are 13 inches by 8 inches by 12 inches and executed in a beautiful greenish stone. The carvings I have seen from Tutuiya all carry a strong, powerful statement. In this carving, called faces, you will notice numerous faces in the lower part of the carving, on the side you will also notice the emergence of a hawk, but out of it all rises a new identity: man as being created out of, and through his community. I don't know if that's what Tutuiya's intent is, but that's how the sculpture speaks to me. A marvelously strong carving. Tutuiya Qatsiya is from Cape Dorset.