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 Born in Nain, Labrador's northernmost Inuit community, Gilbert Hay is one of the senior Inuit carvers. Gilbert has traveled extensively as a cultural interpreter and ambassador; his works are found in museums and collections world wide. From a large family himself, Gilbert lives in his village of 1200 with his family and still practices a traditional lifestyle. It is his love of the land and sea and pride in his Inuit heritage, that inspires the images he sculpts in stone.

Gilbert has been carving professionally since 1971; He has done lithography in both St. John's and Cape Dorset. Mainly, Gilbert works in stone, most recently the beautiful anorthosites ( granite & labradorite composite ) from Northern Labrador. His works have been exhibited in major North American exhibitions and galleries.

         
Northern Labrador is home to some of the oldest and most beautiful rock on
earth. Sculpting that stone is Gilbert Hay, one of Canada's foremost Inuit
carvers. Gilbert lives in Nain, and Inuit community of some 1200, and
gathers his stone from the edges of the nearby (Ten Mile Bay) anorthosite
dimension stone quarry. Gilbert is one of the few, if not only, granite
sculptors of the Inuit carvers. Gilbert's bears are often of stunningly
monumental proportions.

The particular material of these sculptures, anorthosite, is a granular
igneous rock (light or dark granite), and a soda-lime feldspar (striking
labradorite crystals imbedded). Polished to a glass-like finish, these
sculptures are truly rare gems in the Inuit art world. Sculptor, Gilbert
Hay, and geologist, Jamie Meyer have combined their artistry and their
energies to create singularly unique collector works; The Birches Gallery is
the sole distributor.  H.B./ B.G.

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