Description
A less common Acrobatic Bear by Tim Pee from Cape Dorset – Kinngait
Dancing Bears are a common theme among Inuit carvers. …From sitting to walking to dancing to fighting, the polar bear is one of the most depicted subjects in Inuit sculpture. Perhaps the arctic’s most iconic animal, the solitary bear is also the most powerful. With no natural predators, the bear remains at the top of the Arctic food chain and is both feared and respected by neighbouring animals and humans alike… Since the early 1960s, the dancing bear has been recognized by audiences around the world as an emblem of Inuit art. Carving icon Pauta Saila was the first to masterfully depict the powerful predator as a whimsically playful character, unknowingly setting forth a dancing bear tradition among Inuit artists. Saila thought the concept of a dancing bear was silly—his bears were actually just balancing. …There is not only one explanation about the dancing bear through Inuit art and culture. Actually, the most popular signification of this topic is linked to shamanism and spirits world. According to the Inuit thought, the universe is inhabited by human beings (humans, animals, vegetables), deceased’s and spirits (tuurnngait) each who live in different but inter-penetrating worlds. Every human being is provided with an anirniq “breathing, breath of life” which, when the subject dies integrates a new animal or human body. The conception of the Inuit world represents a continuum, where every element is a part of a whole… Sourced from Feheley and Inuitartzone.
Tim Pee is continuing a long tradition of bears with human characteristics and extends the human prowess of the bear with this bear’s acrobatic antics.
This Bear has come to us through the secondary market and was originally purchased by the collector directly from the carver.
Tim Pee comes from a traditional family background. The Cape Dorset community has more famous Inuit artists per capita than any other region in Nunavut. He started creating art very young, since he was 15 years old. He is the grandson of Kananginak Pootoogook and is also related to well known artists such as Johnny Pootoogook and Ashevak Adla. Tim also learned much of his carving skills from Audla Pee. His favourite subject matter is the polar bear, which he carves in a variety of different positions. He in fact is mostly known for his polar bear carvings.
Tim Pee is considered as one of the youngest and best known carvers living on Baffin Island. ( Born on July 17, 1976 in Cape Dorset, NU.). His bears have garnered significant attention over the years and have established him as one of the youngest and most talented carvers on Baffin Island. They are very well executed and have an elegant form. It is said that his work has great potential and at present he is at the stage of developing more freedom in his personal style. The small bears Tim Pee’s carves are especially popular. He is a full time carver and specializes in carving polar bears either standing or walking.
