Mother and Child

Inukjuak
Stone, Antler, Soap inlay
5.5" x 5" x 3.75"

This tender sculpture by renowned first generation artist Isa Aqiattusuk Smiler captures the enduring bond between mother and child with warmth, elegance, and exceptional skill. Carved in the mid-20th century, Smiler’s Mother and Child depicts a kneeling woman dressed in a traditional amauti. From the amauti’s deep, lowered hood, a chubby-cheeked baby peers out, echoing the mother’s own rounded, joyful features. Finely detailed, her smiling expression is accentuated by tiny inlaid ivory eyes and teeth, while her braided hair, tucked tightly at the nape, reflects traditional Inuit styling. 

The composition is both intimate and reverent, with the mother's clasped hands resting gently before her, grounding the sculpture in a quiet strength. Isa Smiler—whose work is held in major collections across Canada and the United States—was among the early generation of Inuit artists whose carvings brought international recognition to Inuit art and provided a vital source of livelihood for their communities. This piece exemplifies Smiler’s celebrated ability to express familial love and cultural identity through stone.