Samisa Ivilla sold his first carving to James Houston in 1950. He was already considered an accomplished artist by 1955; when Peter Murdoch arrived in Puvirnituq that year he encouraged Ivilla to continue. In our opinion, Ivilla’s work rivals that of Charlie Sivuarapik, who is considered the most famous and influential realist carver from the community from this period. Hunter Carrying a Caribou shows a hunter’s profound understanding of human and animal anatomy, and reveals the artist’s exceptional sensitivity as well. We marvel not only at the naturalism of the pose and the details and finish of the work, but also at the sculpture’s sense of balance, harmony, and grace. Hunter Carrying a Caribou is a masterpiece of the genre.

Literature: For a work by the artist with similar subject matter and very similar style, see Jean Blodgett, Povungnituk (Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1977), ill. 31, or George Swinton, Sculpture of the Inuit (Toronto: M&S, 1972/92), ill. 343. A work from 1955 is included in Darlene Wight’s exhibition catalogue Early Masters: Inuit Sculpture 1949-1955 (WAG, 2006), p. 130. Ivilla is also known for his beautifully rendered depictions of birds, several of which are depicted in Blodgett’s Povungnituk catalogue (cats. 26-33), and in Darlene Coward Wight, The Jerry Twomey Collection at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (2003), pp. 32-33.