John Tiktak moved from Arviat to Rankin Inlet in 1958 to work at the new nickel mine there. Injured at the mine in 1959, he quickly took up carving. Interestingly, though, there are very few documented works by him dated earlier than 1962, [1] and only a handful dated to 1962. We suggest that this powerful little sculpture is a very early sculpture by Tiktak and feel it likely dates between 1959 and 1961. Carved in a small piece of quite hard stone, Figure with Raised Arms has rudimentary yet expressive facial features set in a blocky head; the nose is broad and deliberately separated from the cheeks. The arm gesture reminds us of Tiktak’s somewhat later Blind Man (Zepp, Williamson Collection, p. 4), and Seated Man (WAG, Twomey Collection, p. 103).

1. For works listed as prior to 1962 see George Swinton (1972/92), figs. 652, 664. Interestingly, we know that Tiktak’s wife, Matee Atangak, was already carving between 1959 and 1961; see First Arts, 4 Dec. 2023, Lot 120, and 2 Dec. 2024, Lot 19.

References: For multiple images of Tiktak’s work see George Swinton, Tiktak, (Winnipeg: Gallery One-One-One, University of Manitoba, 1970); George Swinton, Sculpture of the Inuit, (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1972/92); Norman Zepp, Pure Vision: The Keewatin Spirit, (Regina: Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, 1986), pp. 96-107; and Bernadette Driscoll, Rankin Inlet / Kangirlliniq, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1981), cats. 37-49.