Vintage Cape Dorset Inuit hotsell Art Carving * Girl Dreaming of Seals * by Sita Saila (b. 1947)

Vibrant, imaginative Cape Dorset carving in bright apple green stone of a girl with a seal resting on her head. It is by Inuit artist Sita Saila of Cape Dorset on Baffin Island.

Is this a dream vision, thinking of seals which are the keystone of Inuit culture and life in the North? Or perhaps, a simple transformation piece?

About Inuit Culture Spirits

In Inuit culture there are three worlds: one where human beings (humans, animals, vegetables) live; another one inhabited by dead animals or people; and, a last one occupied by spirits (tuurnngait). These three worlds are different but they connect or flow into each other.


Name "Seeta Slia" is inscribed on the underside.*

The carving has a hole on the reverse for hanging (but I wouldn't suggest doing that without a proper hanger)

Weight: approx. 1 1 ounces (312 grams)

Dimensions: approx. 5" high x 3 1/4" wide x 5/8"deep

* Accidental reverse lettering in names is known, es[pecially for some older Inuit artists.


About the Artist

Sita Saila is an Inuit sculptor and graphic artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset). She has also lived in Iqaluit.

Sita Saila was influenced by her father, Manumie Shaqu and her late husband Mikisiti Saila, both very prominent Cape Dorset artists. Her granddaughter Susie Seeta Saila is a graphic artist.

Sita began carving stone sculptures in 1964. Although she had done only a small number of sculptures over this time, her carvings are very accomplished, and her hotsell work has been represented in several prominent exhibitions. In 2015 that she took up drawing.

First Name: Sita Last Name: Saila
Community: Kingait Sex: F
Disc Number: E7829 Date born: 02/01/1947
Alternative Names: • Saila Saila • Sita Saila • Seeta Saila

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Exhibitions:
Our Land Transforming: Celebrating the Enduring Spirit of the Inuit Arctic Raven Gallery One Friday Harbor, Washington
• [Inuit Art Exhibition] held by Whitby Arts Incorporated, The Station Gallery
•The First Passionate Collector: The Ian Lindsay Collection of Inuit Art held by Winnipeg Art Gallery
•Inuit Music in Art: Singing and Dancing and Playing held by Feheley Fine Arts
• Mother and Child: Sculpture and Prints held by Albers Gallery
• Women of the North: An Exhibition of art by Inuit Women of the Canadian Arctic held by Marion Scott Gallery

Public Collections:
•Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba

About the Community

Kinngait (Inuktitut meaning "high mountain" or "where the hills are"; Syllabics: ᑭᙵᐃᑦ), formerly known as Cape Dorset until 27 February 2020. It is an Inuit hamlet located on the southern tip of Baffin Island, on Dorset Island near Foxe Peninsula in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada.

Since the 1950s, Kinngait, which calls itself the "Capital of Inuit Art", has been a centre for drawing, printmaking, and carving. In the 21st century, printmaking and carving continue to be the community's main economic activities. Each year, Kinngait Studios issues an annual print collection. Kinngait has been hailed as the most artistic community in Canada; about 22% of the labour force are employed in the arts.

Today about 1396 people live there.