-
Artworks
PITALOOSIE SAILA, R.C.A. (1942-2021) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
Summer Fashion, 1992 #26Printmaker: ENOOSIQ OTTOKIE (1953-) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET)
stencil on cream coloured paper, 25 x 18.75 in (63.5 x 47.6 cm)
2/50LOT 50
ESTIMATE: $500 — $800Rendered through stencil, the pigments drift across the paper like cloth brushed by hand, dissolving into one another until the garments seem almost tangible. The clothing is not only pictured but embodied, cherished, and honoured in every soft edge of colour. The figure turns mid-stride, her body poised with intention, as if caught in the instant of stepping forward, the motion still shimmering in the air. It recalls the sway of a runway, imagined or remembered, where presence itself becomes performance. The title Summer Fashion places the moment in a season approaching North America, yet its meaning feels larger and more open. Clothing here is more than adornment. It is voice. Across cultures, what we wear speaks, declaring who we are, and in this work it becomes an elegant homage to Inuit womanhood, dignity, and grace.It seems fitting while we mourn the loss of Pitaloosie Saila from the artistic community, that we celebrate her work with one of her most popular subjects, women. Saila’s use of understated shading and texture, which can normally be found in her drawn works, is not lost in this stenciled print. What could easily have been a flat image of a woman’s summer clothes is subtly curved and shaped to the wearer.
From a southern and Inuit perspective, clothing remains a distinctive feature of Inuit culture. Traditionally, for women, it represented one’s abilities for creativity and craftsmanship. Pitaloosie herself commented, “I remember how Inuit used to live, thinking of them back then, my relatives. I also recall how the clothing was made; that is what I base my drawings on when I draw people” [1].
1. Pitaloosie Saila in Kinngait: Riding Light Into the World, Annette Mangaard, (2010), https://www.annettemangaard.com/kinngait-riding-light-into-the-worldProvenance
A Toronto Collection.
Join our mailing list
* denotes required fields
We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.