Alice Akammak is, after Eva Talooki (1927-1994), the best-known maker of the charming, doll-like beaded figures that have become one of the trademarks of Arviat art. The earliest examples of the artform were probably made by Eva Talooki’s aunt, Susan Ootnooyook in the late 1960s. She carved only a handful of figures, sparsely decorated with beads and fox teeth. Talooki took up the mantle, soon followed by Akammak, Mary Miki, Annie Okalik and a few others. Woman in a Beaded Amautiq is a classic example of its type, with a rudimentary, truncated body without limbs, but with a head with clearly defined facial features. The abstracted “amautiq” (woman’s parka) consists of a lovely curtain of beaded strands enveloping the figure. The concept is simple enough but the result is a surprisingly elegant little sculpture.