Bringing together some 60 sculptures from private and museum collections in Canada and the US, the development of her work is surveyed from the typical genre of finely-crafted birds and animals in the 1970s, to her exploration of social issues in the 1980s, to autobiographical themes in the 1990s.
Tunnillie’s early decision to become a stone sculptor is an indication of her independence from artistic and social conventions. She was a prolific artist with a distinctive modern style characterized by curvilinear, fluid shapes. Tunnillie is one of the very few female carvers to achieve international success, with a number of solo exhibitions in Montreal, Mannheim, Germany, and several organized by Marion Scott Gallery in Vancouver and Feheley Fine Arts in Toronto.
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully-illustrated publication with a critical essay by WAG Curator of Inuit Art, Darlene Coward Wight, and reflections by the artist documented over the years. Research and interviews conducted in Cape Dorset are included in the catalogue.
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