The subject of a mother and child belongs to one of the most fundamental themes in art. It recurs not only within Inuit art but across cultures as a universal expression of connection and care. For Tiktak, this motif was central from the very beginning of his career. It became a constant source of invention, a way of testing how two forms could be bound together, yet remain distinct. Time and again, he returned to the bond between mother and child, finding new sculptural solutions to illustrate both balance of unity and distinction.

In the present work, the compact forms press against one another in a way that suggests both unity and convergence. Although the treatment is highly abstracted, as characteristic, the rounded figures seem to press and swell outward from the stone, as if the surface itself were shaped by their continual emergence. Within this interplay of mass and contour, recognizable elements begin to take shape. The proportions and posture designate a standing woman, while the ample curve of her amautiq hood clearly holds the presence of a child.

The mother’s arms are articulated through hollows that introduce a sense of lift and openness without lessening the work’s solidity. As noted in lot 24, such voids stand among Tiktak’s most original sculptural inventions. Here, they not only separate the arms from the body but also structure the composition through the measured balance of mass and space.

In this work, Tiktak leaves the evidence of his carving process visible, allowing the surface to bear the memory of its making. Bore holes punctuate the stone with small circles. Rasp and file marks trace faint ridges across the form and cuts run along the contours. These traces catch the light differently than the polished planes, producing a surface that feels alive to not only the eye but the hand as well.