Saila Pitaloosie

Artist Bio: Saila Pitaloosie, RCA (b. 1942)

Pitaloosie was born on the Southwest coast of Baffin Island, Nunavut, near present-day Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset). She learned English at a young age, as she spent her childhood years predominantly in hospitals in Quebec and Ontario for treatment of Tuberculosis. Upon her return to Baffin Island in 1957, she had to relearn her native language of Inuktitut and became one of the few in her generation who could speak both languages fluently.

She began drawing in the early 1960Õs and established herself successfully as a versatile graphic artist, becoming a household name in the Kinngait Studios. She is married to the well-known Inuit sculptor Pauta Saila. Her work has been included in annual print collections since 1968 and has been featured in solo and group drawing and print exhibitions across Canada. In 1977, Canada Post issued a stamp depicting her print FishermanÕs Dream. In 1985, Parks Canada selected Pitaloosie to represent the Northwest Territories in their Centennial Celebration, which included her lithograph In the Hills. In 2004, both she and Pauta were appointed members of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts, in recognition of their lifeÕs work and contributions to Canadian Fine Art.