Head of a Man

Abraham POV fits into the regional style of realism, but he captures a human quality in his beautifully rounded, fully resolved compositions. The face is surrounded by the rounded parka hood which acts as a frame for the detailed facial features. POV exploits the possibilities of the soft stone to contrast the eyes which are surrounded by unpolished stone, mimicking the white surrounding the pupil. This is the focal point of the sculpture and the element that adds humanity making it a portrait rather than simply the head of a man. It is a magnifcent and monumental work.

Nunavik Region: 
Sculptures from this region, going back to the early days of the contemporary period of Inuit art, have distinctive characteristics in both style and subject matter. Stone across Nunavik varies from a soft ‘soapstone’ that could be polished or left unpolished to a beautiful veined hard stone. Artists tended to add details to their sculptures, either by contrasting polished and unpolished area or by adding antler or ivory to achieve as muchrealism as possible. These realistic works served a narrative purpose; artists wanted toshow all aspects of traditional life.