Pitaloosie Saila

Biography

Saila was born in Cape Dorset in what was then Northwest Territories (currently Nunavut) in Canada, but spent much of her childhood in hospitals in Québec and Ontario. 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. She has stated that it was difficult for her to relearn Inuktitut once she returned to Baffin Island in 1957, at the age of 15. A graphic artist widely known for her 113 stunning images featured of the Cape Dorset print collections since 1968, Pitaloosie Saila comes from a family of extremely successful artists. Her husband Pauta 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 has participated in an annual engraving collection in Cape Dorset since 1968. However, she began to draw completely on her own initiative in the early 1960s during the time that James Houston was at Cape Dorset, and her style is distinctively her own. She tends towards images of strong, nurturing women or women and children, and frequently draws birds and mythical Taleelayu (or Sedna) figures as well. Pitaloosie Saila has had numerous opportunities to travel in southern Canada and abroad in connection with her art. With Pauta Saila, she spent the summer of 1967 in Toronto with their family while Pauta executed a carving for the International Sculpture Symposium. In 1974, Pitaloosie attend the opening of her first solo exhibition in Hamilton, Ontario, and subsequent showings of her work have taken her to major cities in southern Canada, the United States and Europe.

Recognition

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. Her 1980 print, Arctic Madonna, was selected for a UNICEF greeting card in 1983.

Saila's works are included in some of the most important Inuit Art collections, including those of the National Gallery of Canada, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the Canadian Museum of Civilisation.

In 2002, she was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.