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Pauta Saila

Biography

Pauta Saila was a multidisciplinary artist from a Kilaparutua camp on Baffin Island, NU who made Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU his artistic community. Learning to live on the land, how to hunt and carve from his father Saila used his connection to the land to depict arctic wildlife in a personal and unique way.

Saila moved to Kinngait in the 1960s and became involved with the co-op shortly after [1]. Saila’s work featured in the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collections from 1961-1982. Saila’s graphic work evolved through his adaptation of new techniques such as using an axe to carve into engraving plates [2]. His graphic style was minimal yet full of playful energy.

More than his graphic works Saila is best known for his dancing bear sculptures. Working primarily in soapstone, he would carve bears balanced on one foot, with arms raised. He was able to contain the physical force of a polar bear caught in motion into each of his sculptures [3]. Dancing bears quickly gained popularity with southern collectors and later as souvenir art made for tourists. As dancing bears were in high demand many artists began to carve bears or other similar animal forms to meet the demand of collectors.

Saila’s work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally including exhibitions in the United States, France, Sweden, Belgium and Germany. In 1967 he participated in the International Sculpture Symposium in Toronto, ON, and in 1999 he created a bronze dancing beat for Byward Market in Ottawa, ON. His work is held in many public collections such as the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON, the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, U.S. and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Saila was also elected into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2003. Saila’s artistic legacy continues to inspire generations of younger artists.



This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé en partie par le gouvernement du Canada. 

Pauta Saila était un artiste multidisciplinaire originaire d’un campement de Kilaparutua sur l’île de Baffin, au Nunavut, qui a choisi de faire partie de la communauté artistique de Kinngait (Cape Dorset), au Nunavut. Ayant appris de son père à vivre de la terre, à faire la chasse et à sculpter, Saila utilisait son attachement à la terre pour représenter la faune arctique d’une façon personnelle et unique. Saila a déménagé à Kinngait dans les années 1960 et est entré en contact avec la coopérative peu après. Ses œuvres ont été illustrées dans les catalogues de la collection annuelle de gravures de Cape Dorset de 1961 à 1982. L’art graphique de Saila a évolué grâce à son usage de nouvelles techniques telles que la sculpture dans des plaques de gravure à l’aide d’une hache. Le style de son art graphique était minimaliste, mais plein d’énergie joviale. À part ses œuvres graphiques, Saila est surtout reconnu pour ses sculptures d’ours dansants. Travaillant principalement la stéatite, il sculptait des ours balancés sur un pied et les bras levés. Chacune de ses sculptures illustrait la force physique d’un ours blanc en mouvement. Les ours dansants ont rapidement gagné en popularité auprès des collectionneurs du sud et, plus tard, comme souvenirs faits pour les touristes. Comme les ours dansants étaient fortement sollicités, de nombreux artistes se sont mis à sculpter des ours ou d’autres formes animales semblables pour répondre à la demande des collectionneurs. Les œuvres de Saila ont été exposées à travers le Canada et à l’échelle internationale, notamment dans le cadre d’expositions aux États-Unis, en France, en Suède, en Belgique et en Allemagne. Ses œuvres se trouvent dans plusieurs collections publiques telles que celle du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada à Ottawa, en Ontario, du Museum of Modern Art à New York, aux États-Unis et du Musée des beaux-arts de Winnipeg, au Manitoba. Saila a également été élu à l’Académie royale des arts du Canada en 2003. Son patrimoine artistique continue d’inspirer des générations de jeunes artistes.
ᐸᐅᑕ ᓴᐃᓚ ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑎ ᑭᓚᐸᕈᑐᐊ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᖕᒥ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐅᓇᓗ ᑭᓐᖓᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᕐᕕᒋᕙᒃᖢᒍ ᓄᓇᒋᓕᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓ. ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓪᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ, ᖃᓄᕐᓗ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᒋᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᐊᑖᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᓴᐃᓚ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᑎᖓᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᓴᕿᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᓂᕐᔪᑎᖏᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᓐᖏᑑᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᓴᐃᓚ ᓅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑭᓐᖓᓄᑦ 1960-ᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᓕᖅᖢᓂ ᑯᐊᐸᒃᑯᓂ ᑕᐃᑲᓃᓕᓵᖅᖢᓂ. ᓴᐃᓚᐅᑉ ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦ ᓴᕿᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑭᓐᖓᐃᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑕᒫᑦ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᐊᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᑕᐃᑲᖓᑦ 1961-ᒥᑦ 1982-ᒧᑦ. ᓴᐃᓚ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᑖᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᓚᒪᐅᑎᒥᒃ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᑎᖅᓯᑎᓪᖢᒋᑦ ᓵᑐᔮᑦ. ᓴᓇᔾᔪᓯᖓ ᒥᑭᔪᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᖅᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᓐᖑᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᖃᖓᑐᐃᓐᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ. ᓱᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᖏ ᓴᐃᓚ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᒧᒥᖑᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᓄᖅ. ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᒃᑯᓯᒃᓴᓕᖕᓂ, ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᓇᓄᖑᐊᓂᒃ ᓂᐅᒥᒍᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒧᑦ ᓇᖏᖅᑐᖅ, ᑕᓕᖏᑦ ᐃᓵᖓᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐱᔪᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑎᒥᖏᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᖑᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᓄᖑᐊᖅ ᓅᑐᓐᓇᖂᔨᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑐᓂ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑕᖏᑦ. ᒧᒥᖑᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᓇᓄᖑᐊᖅ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᐅᓂᖅᐹᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᓄᓇᖓᓂ ᓄᐊᑦᑎᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᖑᓂᐊᒍᑦ ᑕᑯᕚᖅᑖᕆᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᓂ ᐳᓚᕋᑎᓂᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᒧᒥᖑᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓇᓄᖑᐊᑦ ᑕᐃᒫᒃᑕᐅᖅ ᓂᕐᔪᑦ ᐋᕿᒃᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᓯᒪᓇᓱᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᔪᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᐊᑦᑎᔪᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᓴᐃᓚ ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦ ᓴᕿᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᒥ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᕿᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᔪᓇᐃᑎᑦ ᓯᑕᐃᑦᔅ, ᕗᓛᓐᔅ, ᓱᕕᑕᓐ, ᐱᐅᔭᒻ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔮᒪᓂ. ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᓄᐊᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑲᓇᑕ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖓ, ᐋᑐᕚᒥ, ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᐅ, ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᒫᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ, ᓅ ᔮᒃ ᓯᑎ, ᔪᓇᐃᑎᑦ ᓯᑕᐃᑦᔅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕕᓂᐲᒃ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ. ᓴᐃᓚ ᓂᕈᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐅᓗᔪ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ 2003-ᒥ. ᓴᐃᓚ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᒃᑲᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐳᐃᒍᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᔪᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᑎᒍᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑎᐅᓕᖅᑐᑦ.

Artist Work

About Pauta Saila

Medium:

Graphic Arts, Sculpture

Artistic Community:

Kinngait, Nunavut, Inuit Nunangat

Date of Birth:

Artists may have multiple birth years listed as a result of when and where they were born. For example, an artist born in the early twentieth century in a camp outside of a community centre may not know/have known their exact date of birth and identified different years.

Kilaparutua camp, Kilapak
1916

Date of Death:

Artists may have multiple dates of death listed as a result of when and where they passed away. Similar to date of birth, an artist may have passed away outside of a community centre or in another community resulting in different dates being recorded.

2009

Igloo Tag Certified

The Igloo Tag Trademark is an internationally recognized symbol that denotes handmade, original artwork made by Inuit artists in Canada. Established in 1958, the Trademark is now managed by the Inuit Art Foundation. The appearance of the Igloo Tag on an artist profile means they have had the Trademark applied to their artwork.
Exhibition

Stone and Paper: Inuit Masterworks, 2011

Publication

Embracing and Resisting Change, 2009

Achievement

Member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 2003

Public Collection

Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University

Edit History

February 23, 2018 Created By: Lera Kotsyuba