Musk Ox Carving by Kellipalik Etidloie

A hand-carved stone sculpture of a musk ox, an animal deeply connected to Inuit culture, traditionally providing food, hides for clothing and shelter, and materials for tools and implements. From one angle, it looks as if its fur is swaying as it walks.

Granite
Approx. 33 x 12 x 20.5 cm
Registration no. 43831-7336R

Kelly Etidloie started carving in the 1980s. He initially started working with hand tools, but in the late 1980s he began using power tools. He credits his sister Omalluk Ohsutsiaq with having taught him. She asked, “How are you going to make a living when father dies?” She would give him her own work to complete, sand and finish. She also encouraged him never to give up when the going gets tough; there would always be ups and downs.

Kelly spent five years carving for Polar North in Montreal in the late 1990s, which is where he learned to carve quickly. His work has been exhibited in Canada, the United States, France, Germany and Switzerland since 1971.