Pauta Saila (1916-2009)
Dancing Bear, 1997
Bronze, 210 x 195 x 115 centimetres

The massive arctic polar bear, distilled to the base elements of its raw strength and intricate balance, is Pauta Saila's most recognizable subject. In this case, rather than render the bear realistically, Saila's work portrays the animal's powerful movement in a simplified, fluid and slightly whimsical form.

About Pauta Saila

He was born in 1916 in a small camp on south Baffin Island in the former Northwest Territories. In 1967, he was chosen to represent Canadian Inuit Sculpture at the International Sculpture Symposium and also participated in the "Eskimo Sculpture" exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Following these two historic showings, Saila became recognized as one of the elders in Inuit art. His work has been presented in hundreds of exhibitions, and he is featured prominently in several important public and private collections. Saila worked in Cape Dorset, Baffin Island, Nunavut. The artist passed away in 2009.​