Josiah Nuilaalik was the son of Jessie Oonark and husband of the textile and graphic artist Ruth Qaulluaryuk (see previous Lot 68). Nuilaalik’s fantastical images of animal-shamans and transforming animal spirits lie somewhat outside the mainstream Baker Lake sculptural aesthetic. They might possibly be influenced by works he saw while living in Gjoa Haven in the late 1970s, but they surely also reflect the many stories his mother told him, and the images she created on paper and in cloth - images that Nuilaalik greatly admired.

Like the artist’s Shaman of 1996 (see First Arts, June 2022, Lot 134), Female Shaman is another masterpiece shown in Two Great Image Makers from Baker Lake, a landmark exhibition for the artist in 1999. Female Shaman is carved with extraordinarily refinement and sensitivity. The lovely features of the shaman’s face are adorned with carefully incised tattoos; their lines and the woman’s eyes are infilled with resin or glue, and pigmented - something we have never seen before in Nuilaalik’s work. The subtle tilt of her head and her downward gaze lend Female Shaman a winsome, contemplative air. We almost forget that this elegant woman is a powerful transforming shaman. Absolutely stunning.