Pitaloosie Saila | |
|---|---|
 Pitaloosie Saila in 1980 | |
| Born | (1942-07-11)July 11, 1942 Cape Dorset, Canada |
| Died | July 24, 2021(2021-07-24) (aged 79) |
| Known for | Inuk artist |
| Spouse | |
Pitaloosie SailaRCA (July 11, 1942 – July 24, 2021[1][2]) was a CanadianInukgraphic artist who predominantly made drawings andlithograph prints.[3][4] Saila's work often explores themes such as family,shamanism, birds, and her personal life experiences as an Inuk woman.[5] Her work has been displayed in over 150 exhibitions[6] nationally and internationally, such as in the acclaimed Isumavut exhibition called "The Artistic Expression of Nine Cape Dorset Women".[7][4] In 2004, Pitaloosie Saila and her well-known husband and sculptorPauta Saila were both inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.[4]
Saila was born on July 11, 1942,;[1] however, several galleries give her birth day at August 11, 1942.[8] She was born inKinngait, or Cape Dorset, in what was thenNorthwest Territories (nowNunavut) in Canada. Her parents were Sam Pudlat and Katauga.[8] She spent much of her childhood in hospitals inQuebec andOntario, for treatment oftuberculosis.[7][9] She learned English through her hospital stays, and often served as translator for her neighbours. Her mother died when she was two years old while her father was away on a walrus hunt, and she was raised by her grandmother.[10] She has stated that it was difficult for her to relearnInuktitut once she returned toBaffin Island in 1957, at the age of 15. A graphic artist widely known for her 113 stunning images featured in Cape Dorset print collections since 1968, Pitaloosie Saila came from a family of extremely successful artists. Her husbandPauta Saila was a highly respected sculptor, and her stepmother,Mary Pudlat, has been a regular contributor to Cape Dorset print collections. Pitaloosie's two uncles,Pudlo Pudlat and Osoochiak Pudlat, have both gained considerable attention for their graphic works, and her father's famous cousin,Peter Pitseolak, was one of the first South Baffin Inuit to produce a sustained body of artistic work over an extended period of years.
Saila began to draw in the early 1960s and immediately developed a personal style. She participated in an annual engraving collection inCape Dorset since 1968. However, she began to draw completely on her own initiative in the early 1960s during the time thatJames Archibald Houston was at Cape Dorset, and her style was distinctively her own. She tended towards images of strong, nurturing women or mothers with their children, and frequently drew birds and mythicalTaleelayu (orSedna) figures as well. Pitaloosie Saila had numerous opportunities to travel in southern Canada and abroad in connection with her art. With Pauta Saila, she spent the summer of 1967 inToronto with their family while Pauta executed a carving for theInternational Sculpture Symposium. In 1974, Pitaloosie attended the opening of her first solo exhibition inHamilton, Ontario, and subsequent showings of her work took her to major cities in southern Canada, the United States and Europe.
In 1977, in recognition of the contribution of Inuit art to the cultural heritage of Canada,Canada Post used her 1971 print,Fisherman's Dream, as one of a series of four illustrated postage stamps.[11] Her 1980 print,Arctic Madonna, was selected for aUNICEF greeting card in 1983.[12]
Saila's works are included in some of the most important Inuit art collections, including those of theNational Gallery of Canada, theMontreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), theWinnipeg Art Gallery, and theCanadian Museum of History.
In 2004, she was elected a member of theRoyal Canadian Academy of Arts.[13]
Source:[14]
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