Pudlalik Shaa (ᐳᓚᓕ ᓴ)
"Pudalik Shaa is a prolific sculptor from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU, who hails from a family of talented carvers. Inspired by the practice of his father, Aqjangayuk Shaa (1937 - 2019), Pudalik began carving at the age of 12, selling his first piece for a modest sum in that same year. By age 17, he was able to support himself through his art and has done so ever since [1]. As he learned by watching the elders carve around him, Shaa exclusively used hand tools in his earliest productions – a saw, an axe, a rasp, and various files included. Now, he chooses to embrace the efficiency and precision that power tools can provide [2].
Shaa’s favourite subjects to sculpt are figures caught in mid-motion, seen across his oeuvre of smaller works. This desire to bring forth dynamism and energy is captured in Composition (2010), a transformation piece in which a new body is shown taking shape. Here, the artist concentrates on the fluid nature of forms as he fuses his drum dancer to the heads of a walrus, hawk and goose. As with many of his other works, this figure in Compositon balances finely atop a single leg, highlighting Shaa’s artistic skill and deep knowledge of his materials [3].
An active member in his community, Shaa fondly recalls forming a carving group with his peers in Kinngait, sharing tools and producing art side by side. Recently, the artist pursued further studies in his craft and received a diploma in carving from Arctic College in Kimmirut (Lake Harbor), NU [4]."
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/profiles/artist/Pudalik-Shaa#key-pudlalik-shaa
"Pudlalik is one of the sons of noted sculptor Aqjangajuk Shaa. Pudlalik made his first carving when he was twelve and has been carving ever since. He learned by watching the generation of carvers who, like his father, used axes to work on their pieces. Pudlalik still uses an axe on occasion, though he also uses more modern tools. He has incorporated elements of the dynamic fluid line of his father’s work into his own sculptures.
Excerpt from Cape Dorset Sculpture, 2005."
http://www.spiritwrestler.com/catalog/index.php?artists_id=272
