Settlement: Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Nuna Parr’s serpentine and soapstone carvings are celebrated for their rounded shapes and playful renderings of Arctic legends and creatures. Born near Cape Dorset in 1949, his adoptive parents, mother Eleeshushe and father Parr, were both artists. The family moved to Cape Dorset in 1960 following a hunting accident, at which point Nuna began carving.

Reflecting his interest in hunting and the subsistence traditions of the Inuit people, Parr is best known for his interpretation of the dancing bear motif. Of deep significance to all First Nations cultures, the bear is at the top of the animal hierarchy, and like man, hunts the same game. Imbuing the bear with human expression such as dancing, illustrates this link and is a recognition of the mutual respect between the two species. Fashioned so that the sculpture can balance freestanding on one leg, the dancing bear is a demonstration of the carver’s ability to consider composition, material and weight distribution in creating a sense of movement.

In 1999 Parr was elected to the Board of Directors of the Inuit Art Foundation. Today, he and his family live outside of Cape Dorset pursuing a traditional Inuit lifestyle, with hunting and carving remaining their livelihood. He has an extensive exhibition history, and is in many private and public collections, including the National Gallery of Canada.