Carvers in Qamani’tuaq have long worked stone that is famously hard and resistant. The material does not easily yield to small incisions or elaborate surface play, and many sculptors respond by relying on broad form, letting mass and contour carry the image.

Nancy Pukingrnak stands as a notable exception and this little gem surely makes the case. The braided hair is handled with remarkable care. Each strand is separated and gathered, so that you can almost feel the tightness of the braid against the scalp. The woman’s amautiq is treated with equally deliberate relief carving. The patterning sits proud of the surface, catching light on its raised edges and falling away into shadow in the recesses. Most telling, perhaps, is what the artist has done where few viewers think to look: the underside is not left as an afterthought. The woman’s legs are fully delineated, shaped with the same attention given to the front.

All this careful finishing leads naturally back to the subject herself: Here, the woman is shown at work, absorbed in a familiar task. She lifts a skin to her mouth to chew and soften it. The work honours women’s labour and the essential contributions it makes to daily life.