Spirit

A beautiful hand-carved sculpture of a spirt bird with inlays.

15 x 15 x 5 cm
Serpentinite stone
reg#268901

Toonoo started carving at the age of 10, and by his mid-teens he was already supporting himself through his work. He claims that his style evolved naturally from watching his grandfather, Quppapil Ragee, from whom he also has learned his land skills. Toonoo prefers to carve large works. He used go to the quarry with his step father, Shorty Killiktee from Kimmirut, now deceased. 

His work is carefully executed and delicately balanced, and he has a distinctive individual style quite different from other work made in the community. Transformation birds and seals predominate as subject matter.

Honours and Awards: Member, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Chosen to design the VISA card for the Royal Bank of Canada, First Prize for Sculpture- International Festival of Craft Arts (1994)