Lot description
JOHN KAVIK (1897-1993) KANGIQLINIQ (RANKIN INLET) Kneeling Woman with Plaited Hair, c. early-mid 1970s stone, 6.5 x 6.75 x 5.25 in (16.5 x 17.1 x 13.3 cm) signed, "ᑲᕕ". Provenance Collection of Mr. Stanley and Mrs. Jean Zazelenchuk. Made in the mid-1970s, when John Kavik was already in his seventies, this kneeling woman shows the artist still carving with remarkable assurance while also pushing his work in subtle new directions. The lowered amautiq hood reveals a central braid, an unusual and arresting detail in Kavik’s work, where such specific personal features are seldom brought forward. Even so, the work remains true to his sculptural language: compact, inward, and emotionally contained. Notably, the front surface bears an irregular pattern of tool marks, as though an electric implement briefly skipped across the stone. Rather than detracting, these marks lend the work a raw immediacy, offering a rare glimpse into the physical act of carving and the challenges of late-career production. The result is a compelling and deeply human work, where refinement and vulnerability coexist. MBL