Description
This Dancing Bear by Ottokie Samayualie has been expertly carved. It is a gorgeous serpentine depiction of a dancing bear. The stone used in the piece is a lovely colour. The pose of the bear is great, and beautifully carved. This is a fantastic example of an Inuit carved Dancing Bear!
The community of Cape Dorset boasts more famous artists per capita than any other region in Nunavut. Ottokie is the son of the talented local artists, Johnny and Kuluajuke Tunnillee.
It is not surprising that Ottokie has followed the same artistic path, as in Nunavut, artistic talent as demonstrated in this Dancing Bear by Ottokie Samayualie is passed on through the family.
Ottokie Samayualie
Born June 17, 1980 (Cape Dorset, Nunavut)
Ottokie Samayualie is the son of talented local artists Johnny and Kuluajuke Tunnillee. In Nunavut, it is not uncommon to see a recurring artistic talent in a family. Indeed, in this territory, talent, as well as artistic know-how, is transmitted from generation to generation rather than in an art academy.
Ottokie started sculpting at the age of 9. His favourite subject is the dancing bear, which he presents in many different poses. In his sculptures, we find a combination of abstract and realistic shapes.
His sculptures are made of the finest serpentine, in different shades of green, then smoothed and polished to better show the brilliance of the stone. Serpentine is a rock similar in composition to jade and is found on Baffin Island. It is a very hard stone which requires more artistic virtuosity to carve than the softer soapstone.
