Inuit Art Sculptures.Com

Alariaq Shaa was born in 1978 in Cape Dorset which is located on Baffin Island in Canada's high arctic.

Alariaq is the son of renowned Cape Dorset carver Axangayuk Shaa. His brother Pudlalik, as well as both uncles Tukiki and Kavavavou Munamee and grandfather Davidee are (or were) accomplished Inuit artists as well.

It is thus not surprising that Alariaq has followed in their path because artistic talent runs in his family and in the Arctic this is a skill that is most often passed on through one's family as opposed to being learned in college or university.

Alariaq like most Inuit carvers takes great care in choosing the stone he will carve. He usually chooses serpentine which is an extremely hard stone and thus requires more artistic skill to carve than soapstone which is a much softer stone.

He demonstrates his skill with beautifully detailed walrus sculptures carved from the finest serpentine and polished until one sees the luster of the stone.