"With the exception of Baker Lake, the major Inuit sculpture producing settlements, mostly ranging in population from a few hundreds to 2,000 people, dot the Arctic coastline. While each community has its own style, certain regional characteristics are apparent.

The sculpture of Arctic Quebec (Nouveau-Québec; Nunavik) tends to be naturalistic, and is often narrative in nature. Animals and realistic hunting scenes, as well as legends and stories, are favoured subjects. The predominantly grey stones are generally blackened and polished, then incised.

Artists from southern Baffin Island work in a variety of stone types. These sculptors seem to view the stone as a challenge, working against it and fashioning intricate, delicate and dramatic pieces with flair. Elegant or humorous animals are popular subjects.

The sculpture of the Central Arctic varies from a kind of expressive realism to surrealism, with a focus on spiritual or shamanic themes. Facial features are often exaggerated, with intricate, inlaid details. Stone and whalebone are popular.

The Keewatin stones are grey to black in colour and hard. Artists use this "stoneness" as an expressive element in their work. Details are few, and many works are not highly polished. Human subjects, especially family scenes, predominate.

The sculpture from other areas of Canada's Arctic is perhaps not quite so well known. Naturalistic animal and hunting themes predominate in the art from northern Baffin Island, the Western Arctic and Labrador."

—Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Publication