Nuna Parr
Nuna Parr
1949 -
Settlement: Kinngait (Cape Dorset)

Nuna Parr’s serpentine and soapstone carvings are celebrated for their rounded shapes and playful renderings of Arctic legends and creatures. Born near Cape Dorset in 1949, his adoptive parents, mother Eleeshushe and father Parr, were both artists. The family moved to Cape Dorset in 1960 following a hunting accident, at which point Nuna began carving.

Reflecting his interest in hunting and the subsistence traditions of the Inuit people, Parr is best known for his interpretation of the dancing bear motif. Of deep significance to all First Nations cultures, the bear is at the top of the animal hierarchy, and like man, hunts the same game. Imbuing the bear with human expression such as dancing, illustrates this link and is a recognition of the mutual respect between the two species. Fashioned so that the sculpture can balance freestanding on one leg, the dancing bear is a demonstration of the carver’s ability to consider composition, material and weight distribution in creating a sense of movement.

In 1999 Parr was elected to the Board of Directors of the Inuit Art Foundation. Today, he and his family live outside of Cape Dorset pursuing a traditional Inuit lifestyle, with hunting and carving remaining their livelihood. He has an extensive exhibition history, and is in many private and public collections, including the National Gallery of Canada.
HOW TO SELL
AVAILABLE WORKS
HEFFEL’S TOP RESULTS
Polar Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $17,500
Nuna Parr
Polar Bear
16 x 20 x 11 in, 40.6 x 50.8 x 27.9 cm
stone sculpture
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000 CDN
Sold for: $17,500 CDN (premium included)
Inuit Art | Part Two on Thursday, February 24, 2022
Dancing Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $16,250
Nuna Parr
Dancing Bear
25 x 16 x 10 in, 63.5 x 40.6 x 25.4 cm
stone sculpture
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CDN
Sold for: $16,250 CDN (premium included)
Inuit Art on Thursday, August 29, 2024
Dancing Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $13,800
Nuna Parr
Dancing Bear
20 x 16 x 9 in, 50.8 x 40.6 x 22.9 cm
grey serpentine stone sculpture
Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000 CDN
Sold for: $13,800 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian Art Spring 2003 on Thursday, May 15, 2003
Dancing Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $12,650
Nuna Parr
Dancing Bear
22 x 13 1/2 x 4 3/4 in, 55.88 x 34.29 x 12.07 cm
green serpentine stone sculpture
Estimate: $6,500 - $8,500 CDN
Sold for: $12,650 CDN (premium included)
May 2000 Fine Canadian Art on Wednesday, May 10, 2000
Dancing Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $12,650
Nuna Parr
Dancing Bear
24 1/4 x 12 3/4 x 6 1/2 in, 61.6 x 32.4 x 16.5 cm
blackish-green serpentine stone sculpture
Estimate: $7,000 - $9,000 CDN
Sold for: $12,650 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian Art Spring 2001 on Wednesday, May 09, 2001
Playful Bear Cub by Nuna Parr sold for $11,875
Nuna Parr
Playful Bear Cub
10 3/4 x 14 x 15 in, 27.3 x 35.6 x 38.1 cm
serpentine stone sculpture
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for: $11,875 CDN (premium included)
First Nations & Inuit Art on Thursday, August 30, 2018
Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $11,800
Nuna Parr
Bear
15 1/2 x 10 x 18 1/4 in, 39.4 x 25.4 x 46.3 cm
stone sculpture
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for: $11,800 CDN (premium included)
September 2015 - 3rd Session on Thursday, September 24, 2015
Dancing Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $10,350
Nuna Parr
Dancing Bear
17 x 12 x 12 in, 43.2 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm
serpentine stone sculpture
Estimate: $6,000 - $7,000 CDN
Sold for: $10,350 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian Art Fall 2002 on Thursday, November 14, 2002
Dancing Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $10,350
Nuna Parr
Dancing Bear
20 3/4 x 10 3/4 x 12 in, 52.7 x 27.3 x 30.5 cm
green serpentine stone sculpture
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000 CDN
Sold for: $10,350 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian Art Fall 2004 on Thursday, November 25, 2004
Dancing Bear by Nuna Parr sold for $9,945
Nuna Parr
Dancing Bear
18 x 17 3/4 x 12 1/2 in, 45,7 x 45,1 x 31,7 cm
dark green serpentine stone sculpture
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CDN
Sold for: $9,945 CDN (premium included)
Spring 2009 - 1st Session on Wednesday, June 17, 2009