Belonging to the second wave of Baker Lake sculptors, Peter Sevoga achieved renown while still in his twenties. By the early 1970s, he was already acknowledged as a leading figure in the community, admired for his ability to balance monumentality with refinement. His figures and groups possess a commanding presence, yet their sensitivity of form and poised arrangement reveal an artist deeply attentive to both scale and nuance.

In the present sculpture, this balance is vividly realized. Here, six figures gather together, each one shaped with careful regard for proportion and the subtle rhythm of their shared arrangement. The figure at the far right lifts an arm in what might read as a wave, as if this group is a welcoming party, gathering to greet an unseen visitor. At the same time, other figures huddle shoulder to shoulder, some with arms draped across one another. We sense that this group might be posing for an unseen camera, gathered at the instant when friends and neighbours press to form a cluster, while the two figures in the rear hurry forward, eager not to be left out of the shot.

These compositions by Sevoga are often called “Family Groups.” They may represent kin, but they might just as easily depict members of a wider community. Their precise affiliation, however, is incidental. The atmosphere of joviality and togetherness is what defines them, made tangible in sculpted stone by Sevoga.

AC with FA