There are a few Northern artists that have made their name synonymous with specific styles and subjects over the years, particularly with the tundra’s lumbering Ursus. While we speak frequently of “Pauta Bears” and “Henry Bears,” a third name to be added should be that of Nuna Parr, a modern master of Kinngait stone. When either dancing, standing, or walking, Nuna’s bears have an innate grace to them, both in their form of movement, and the handling of the material.

In this Striding Polar Bear Caught a Scent, our subject is caught mid-wander, leaning slightly on his left side as his nose catches something to the right. While firmly planted on the ground, his limbs are mid-stride and ready to continue on as his ears almost twitch to pick something up. Nuna’s meticulous care for finishing his sculptures has given this bear a beautiful shine and lustre, inviting the eye to explore the stone further. What could be just another bear in someone else’s hands, is now a thing of beauty to behold.

AC

References: See Jennifer Cartwright, “Nuna Parr: A Hunter’s Perspective” in Inuit Art Quarterly, (Fall 2002), pp. 20-22. See also Amway Environmental Foundation, Masters of the Arctic: Art In The Service Of The Earth, (Ada, MI: Amway Environmental Foundation, 1990), pp. 19,33,41. For similar works by the artist, see Waddington’s Auctions, Toronto, 9 May 2024, Lot 160, and Waddington’s Auctions, Toronto, 28 April, 2022, Lot 19.