John Tiktak (

Inuktitut syllabics Inuktitut syllabics (, or , ) is an abugida-type writing system used in Canada by the Inuktitut-speaking Inuit of the Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Nunavut and the Nunavik region of Quebec. In 1976, the Language Commission of ...

: ᔭᓐ ᑎᑕ ) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

Inuk Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labr ...

sculptor known for his minimalist and figurative work. He was born in 1916 at a camp near the western coast of Hudson Bay, in what is now Nunavut. He lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle before moving to Arviat (formerly known as Eskimo Point) in the 1950s. In 1958, he relocated to Rankin Inlet, where he began working as a sculptor in 1963. Tiktak’s sculptures primarily focus on human figures, often characterized by rounded shapes and simplified forms. His work has been recognized for its unique approach, blending traditional Inuit themes with a modern artistic style.

Biography

Tiktak lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle until he moved to

Arviat Arviat (, Inuktitut syllabics, syllabics: ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ; formerly called Eskimo Point until 1 June 1989) is a predominantly Inuit Hamlet (place)#Canada, hamlet located on the western shore of Hudson Bay in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada ...

(then known as Eskimo Point and also called Aqviat) in the 1950s. He moved to Rankin Inlet (also known as Kangiqilniq) in 1958, where he began to work as a sculptor in 1963. His figurative work is minimal in style, and so is modern in appearance. Distinctive stylistic traits include very rounded forms and hands that are attached to the sides of the figure, so that the arms are circular in shape.

Honors

* Elected a member of the

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Victoria of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria on 16 ...

, 1973

References

External links

John Tiktak biography at the Canadian Art Database
Inuit sculptors 1916 births 1981 deaths 20th-century Inuit artists Canadian Inuit artists Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Inuit from the Northwest Territories People from Rankin Inlet People from Arviat Artists from Nunavut 20th-century Canadian sculptors {{Canada-sculptor-stub