Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok (1934-2012) - Monumental "

Updated September 18, 2026

Among the most celebrated and historically important names in Canadian Inuit art, Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok transformed the sculptural traditions of Arviat through a uniquely modern yet deeply spiritual visual language that elevated the natural form of stone into profound expressions of family, ancestry, resilience and human connection. This exceptional work, titled Faces / Family, is a compelling example of the minimalist sculptural vocabulary for which Tutsweetok is internationally admired. Rather than separating individual figures from the stone, she allows multiple faces to emerge organically from a single monumental mass, creating a timeless meditation on kinship, unity and the enduring strength of Inuit culture. The sculpture possesses remarkable visual power despite its restrained composition, with bold architectural geometry, deeply incised facial features, flowing natural contours and thousands of visible hand-worked tool marks combining to produce an object of extraordinary presence from every viewpoint.<br><br>Carved from richly toned dark grey Arctic stone, the composition rewards prolonged examination. The principal face rises prominently from the upper plane while additional faces gradually reveal themselves as the sculpture is turned, allowing the work to transform continuously through light, shadow and changing perspective. Broad untouched surfaces preserve the integrity of the original stone while precisely carved planes create a dramatic balance between abstraction and representation, a defining characteristic of Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok's mature artistic vision. Few Inuit sculptors succeeded as completely in allowing the spirit of the stone itself to participate in the composition, making her works immediately recognizable to experienced collectors and highly sought after by museums, institutions and advanced private collections worldwide.<br><br>Lucy Tasseor Tutsweetok occupies a distinguished place in the history of Canadian Inuit sculpture, with important works represented in major public collections and consistently recognized for their cultural significance, sculptural sophistication and enduring market appeal. Her family group compositions remain among her most iconic and desirable subjects, celebrated for conveying profound emotional depth through remarkable economy of form. This sculpture embodies those qualities beautifully, presenting an image that is simultaneously ancient and modern, intimate and monumental.<br><br>The sculpture is accompanied by its original bilingual Government of Canada Certified Authenticity card identifying the artist as Lucy Tutsweetok, the community as Arviat, the title as Faces / Family, which corresponds with the inventory label affixed to the underside of the sculpture.<br><br>Condition is very good overall. The sculpture presents beautifully with no visible evidence of major breaks, repairs or restoration. The extensive hand-worked surface remains exceptionally crisp, preserving the artist's

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