Okoktok likely moved to Rankin Inlet in the late 1950s and carved there mainly in the 1960s, alongside artists such as Tiktak and Kavik. Okoktok was not prolific, however, and his work remains far less well known than it deserves. The present imaginative sculpture turns a standing Inuk into a totemic tower of animal presences, reflecting the artist’s well-known fondness for vertically stacked compositions. Balanced upon the figure’s back is a whale, its presence evoking sustenance, community, and the importance of sea life in Inuit culture. Atop the inuk’s head, a bear adds a further layer of symbolism, suggesting watchfulness, adaptability, or strength. The careful stacking of forms conveys both physical balance and spiritual interconnectedness, as human and animal realms merge into a single expressive entity. Okoktok’s carving invites interpretation: the figure may be contemplating the uncertainties of an upcoming hunt, mentally preparing while drawing upon the guidance and power of the spirit animals he carries. Compact yet evocative, the work encapsulates a worldview in which survival, respect, and imagination are deeply intertwined.

MBL

Reference: For another work by the artist, see George Swinton, Sculpture of the Eskimo, (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1972), p. 213, pl. 637. See also First Arts, 28 Sept 2023, Lot 7.