The sculpture of Thomas Suvaaraq is not as well-known as it should be. His reputation probably suffered because of the superficial resemblance of his shaman figures to those of Luke Iksiktaaryuk, but also because he was often confused with the more famous stone sculptor Thomas Sivuraq (the brother of Peter Sevoga) (see also no. 11 in this exhibition).

Comparison with the work of Iksiktaaryuk is certainly understandable. Suvaaraq, however, carved single figures of shamans almost exclusively, while Iksiktaaryuk’s themes were more varied. The works are easy to distinguish, however, because Suvaaraq almost always adorned his figures with fur, to illustrate hair, collar and sleeve ruffs, and amulet belts. This fine example is very similar to his Shaman of 1974, formerly in the Zazelenchuk Collection and exhibited in Jean Blodgett’s The Coming and Going of the Shaman exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in 1978 as well as in the WAG’s Zazelenchuk Collection show there the same year.