Inuk Figure

Taloyoak
Whalebone
13" x 9" x 4"

* Cannot be shipped out of Canada.

With arms outstretched and mouth agape in a wide, round expression that hovers between exaltation and invocation, this whalebone sculpture by Karoo Ashevak captures a moment of open-hearted expression. Clad in a finely rendered amauti, the Inuk figure radiates warmth, vitality, and welcome—yet, like much of Ashevak’s work, there’s an ambiguity that suggests deeper, more enigmatic forces at play. The incised lines that delineate the hems of the garment and carve out delicate facial details connect the figure to ancestral design traditions rooted in Thule culture, while the exaggerated features evoke the dreamlike, spirit-inhabited world of Netsilik shamanism.

A visionary of his time, Ashevak defied the artistic expectations placed on Inuit carvers, forging a deeply personal and modern sculptural language in just five years of work before his life was tragically cut short. This figure, with its powerful stance and expressive force, exemplifies the boundary-breaking energy that brought him critical acclaim across North America and cemented his legacy as a transformative voice in both Inuit and Canadian contemporary art.