Toonoo Sharky
"Spirit Bird"
11" x 8" x 3"
Toonoo Sharky is the son of late carver Josephee Sharky and Ragee Killiktee. He was born June 5, 1970 in the Iqaluit hospital and has lived in Cape Dorset all his life. He left school early to carve full time. While he is primarily a self-taught artist, Sharky learned by observing others around him including his grandfather Kopapik Ragee and his stepfather Shorty Killiktee both of whom are skilful artists. He began carving at the age of ten and first exhibited his work at the young age of seventeen.
Working primarily in serpentine stone and marble, Toonoo Sharky’s compositions use an interesting juxtaposition of sturdiness and fragility. He is fascinated with spirit beings and his themes often include vivid treatments of wildlife. While he decides what to carve depending on the shape of the stone, his favourite subjects include birds with a fish or lemming and animal/human spirit transformations thus expressing the age old Inuit belief in the inherent spiritual unity of nature.
Sharky certainly represents a new generation of artists. For his grandfather, carving was a new endeavour he came to later in life after years of living on the land in the traditional Inuit lifestyle. Two generations later, Toonoo Sharky has grown up surrounded by artists, instilling in his art an entirely new perspective.
Sharky’s work has been widely shown, included in exhibitions across Canada and the U.S. as well as in France and Germany. He was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy in 2003.