Pauloosie Tunnillie

Pauloosie Tunnillie was an Inuit sculptor born in the South Baffin region of Nunavut. Raised in traditional land camps near Kinngait (Cape Dorset), he developed an early familiarity with Arctic wildlife, hunting traditions, and customary land practices, which served as the primary foundation for his artistic output.

Tunnillie established his sculpting career in Kinngait during the 1950s and 1960s, a period marked by the formal development of northern cooperatives and commercial art initiatives. Working predominantly in dark local serpentinite and soapstone, his carvings focused on figurative representations of indigenous fauna, including polar bears, walruses, seals, and birds, alongside depictions of hunters and family units. His work was characterized by blocky, heavy forms and dense proportions that emphasized the natural weight and color variations of the stone.

Throughout his career, Tunnillie maintained close artistic ties within the Kinngait creative community, sharing familial connections with several prominent northern creators, including his wife, sculptor Oviloo Tunnillie. His work gained inclusion in major public exhibitions dedicated to mid-century Canadian Inuit art.

Works by Tunnillie have been acquired for public institutional collections, including holdings at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario. Tunnillie lived and maintained his artistic production in Nunavut until his death in 1993.