In Ice Worm Spirit, as in Lot 29, Sikkuark’s subtle mastery of the grotesque is strikingly apparent. The Spirit’s features are ugly and distorted but, in a minimalist, almost dreamlike fashion that render them unsettling yet oddly endearing. Wisps of hair emerge from its mouth like breath made visible or plumes of smoke, an eerie but playful detail. This delicate balance between unease and amusement defines Sikkuark’s work and draws us into this creature’s peculiar, paradoxical charm.

References: For an impressive overview of the artist’s life and work (with dozens of illustrations) see the National Gallery solo exhibition catalogue: Christine Lalonde et al, Nick Sikkuark: Humour and Horror, (Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2023). See also Marion Scott Gallery, The Art of Nick Sikkuark: Sculpture and Drawings, (Vancouver: Marion Scott Gallery, 2003). See the section on the artist in Darlene Coward Wight, Art & Expression of the Netsilik, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2000), pp. 32-43. For a discussion of Sikkuark's sculptural style see Robert Kardosh's two-part article, "Natural Fantasia: The Wonderful World of Nick Sikkuark”: Part I in Inuit Art Quarterly, (Spring 2005), pp. 8-14, and Part II in Inuit Art Quarterly, (Summer 2005), pp. 10-16.