Northern Canadian Native Art Tour :: Kangirsuk, Nunavik, Quebec and Nain, Nunatsiavut, Newfoundland
Posted by: patbirder
on Jun 22, 2009 
An Inuit town in Nunavik, northern Quebec, the lands of Kangirsuk and vicinity have been hunted, fished, and lived on by Inuit peoples for centuries and Viking groups for a much shorter period. Located just inland from the western coast of the Ungava Bay, Kangirsuk was established as a community in the early twentieth century when fur companies built trading posts at the site. Stone carvings from Kangirsuk are especially interesting because the style is so different from other Inuit sculptures. Although soapstone is used, unlike sculptures from many Inuit regions, those from Kangirsuk are less detailed, fairly abstract, and do not typically portray hunting or wildlife. Instead, pieces often represent daily activities and aspects of human nature.
A few hundred kilometers to the east of Kangirsuk, Nain is situated on on a bay of the Atlantic Ocean. The calm waters sheltered by islands at the bay’s entrance provide good fishing; the mainstay for this northernmost Inuit community in Nunatsiavut, Newfoundland. Although fewer artists have come from here than other Inuit communities, one of the most prominent Inuit artists, Gilbert Hay, hails from Nain. Gilbert Hay sculpts in a variety of mediums such as soapstone, ivory, the local Labradorite stone, whale bone, and antler, and also does lithographs. A versatile artist, his works reflect both traditional Inuit, and political themes.
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