Qinuajua, Eli Sallualu

Eli Sallualuk Qinuajua (1937–2004) was a sculptor of fantastical and surreal works. Qinuajua’s carvings alternate between highly polished surfaces and more roughly etched stone, providing each work with a sense of energy and movement compounded by the artist’s use of tangled limbs and tentacle-like shapes. After winning first prize in a local sculpture contest in 1967, Qinuajua gained a wide following that effectively marked the beginning of his commercial art career. Since then, his work has been exhibited internationally in countries including Japan and Germany and is held in many private and public collections including the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, and the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC.