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Artworks
NICK SIKKUARK (1943-2013) KUGAARUK (PELLY BAY) / UQSUQTUUQ (GJOA HAVEN)
Crawling Spirit, 1996bone, antler, and fur, 2.25 x 7 x 2.25 in (5.7 x 17.8 x 5.7 cm)
signed and dated, "ᓂᑯᓚ ᓯᑯᐊ 1996.".LOT 124
ESTIMATE: $1,500 — $2,500
PRICE REALIZED: $1,830.00Further images
Sikkuark’s works, influenced by the surrealist traditions of the Kitikmeot region, where he lived before relocating to Kugaaruk, showcase his ability to blend the grotesque with a touch of whimsy....Sikkuark’s works, influenced by the surrealist traditions of the Kitikmeot region, where he lived before relocating to Kugaaruk, showcase his ability to blend the grotesque with a touch of whimsy. In Crawling Spirit, as in Lot 49, these traits are on full display. The creature is carved with Sikkuark’s characteristic exactitude, with its face so grotesquely exaggerated that it is cartoonish rather than terrifying. Small ivory bits are embedded within its contorted mouth to create a bizarre grin, while shocks of fur burst from its nose and ears, creating an unsettling yet strangely amusing effect. These humorous touches soften the grotesque creature, creating both a sense of discomfort and delight.
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.Provenance
Private Collection, Calgary, AB.
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