Influenced by his father Tudlik (1890-1966) who was a carver of small birds, Latcholassie began carving in the early 1950s. Latcholassie stood somewhat outside the Cape Dorset mainstream, but he is now admired as one of the community’s greatest talents, partly for his distinctive style but especially because he created owls and other birds and bird-people with distinct personalities. Many Latcholassie sculptures are comically anthropomorphic, while others have a more solemn aspect.

Of all the Cape Dorset who worked with the white marble found at Andrew Gordon Bay, Latcholassie arguably made the best use of it. Most artists found the stone too hard but it suited Latcholassie’s chunky style very well. While many of his marble sculptures are large and quite impressive, even the small ones are quite appealing. Owl Couple is absolutely one of the most charming we have seen. The two birds gaze in opposite directions as if they hardly notice each other or are having a spat, yet their bodies are fused together into a single monolith; this cute couple is quite literally inseparable. Furthermore, one of them holds its wing/arm protectively or affectionately behind its partner’s back in a surreptitious embrace.