Soapstone

Soapstone, known as steatite, is a metamorphic rock formed by the compression of talc, quartz and other impure minerals in the earth over millions of years. The Inuit people have used it as a sculptural medium as seen in the images below. The Inuit sculptures often reflected the values and history of their people.

Soapstone has been used for multiple purposes such as cooking pots in India and raised stamps for clay by the Egyptians and Babylonians.  Today, we can find soapstone used for industrial uses such as countertops, toys, a filler in paint, cleaning compounds and cosmetics. Sculpture and Mixed Media A students created these small scale sculptures in soapstone based on the work of the Inuit artists. They were free to choose content that was relevant to their lives today. Students made a range of small scale sculptures, pendants, and even a candle holder.

The color variation is due to the different minerals that appear in the stone itself.  Students filed, sanded and polished, but they never really knew what the color would be until it was almost completed. The dust has settled, and now we are getting to work on relief printmaking.