TOONOO SHARKY (SOROSEELKTOO)
Date of Birth: June 5, 1970 Male/Female: Male E7-2729
Place of Birth: Cape Dorset
Mother: Ragee Killiktee
Father: Josephee Sharky
Toonoo is the son of the late carver, Josephee Sharky and Ragee Killiktee, who carves once in a while. “My younger brothers, Napachie and Alasua are also carving”, says Toonoo. He lives with Mary Saila, and they have an adopted child.
“I was influenced by my grandfather Kopapik Ragee, and also by Shorty Killiktee. The first carving I did was at the age of ten. I think it was a bird or a seal.” Toonoo has been carving ever since and it has been his only source of income. He likes to carve in serpentine and marble stone. “I like the colours and also the textures of both stones. When I’m starting on a piece of stone, I like to slowly work on the piece until the shape starts forming into a shape I can recognize. Sometimes, I just go by the shape of the stone. My favourite subjects are bird figures with human faces.”
Toonoo’s favourite pastimes are carving, hunting, watching television and spending time with his family. He would also like to put together a collection of his carvings in the near future for his own solo exhibition.
From an interview with Inuit Art
Information Centre, November, 1994.
EXHIBITIONS:
July First Nations Perspectives: Featuring Toonoo Sharky
Willock and Sax Ltd. Gallery
Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
(brochure)
May – June 1987 (Inuit Art Exhibition)
Whitby Arts Incorporated,
The Station Gallery
Whitby, Ontario
February 1989 Arctic Images: Major Sculptures by Canada’s Leading Contemporary Eskimo (Inuit) Artists
At D’Erlien Fine Arts Limited
Presented by Orca Aart Gallery
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
May 1989 Birds: Sculpture from Cape Dorset & Rock Ptarmigan Limited Edition
Print by Kananginak
The Guild Shop
Toronto, Ontario
August 1989 Art Inuit: la Sculpture des Esquimaux du Canada
Presented by l’Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
At Chapelle de la Visitation,Thonon
Thonon, France
October – December 1989 Baffin Images
Orca Aart
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
January 1990 Art Inuit: la Sculpture des Esquimaux du Canada
Presented by l’Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
At Centre d’Action Culturelle du Bassin
Houllier, Lorrain
Saint Avold, France
March 1990 Art Inuit: la Sculpture des Esquimaux du Canada
Presented by l’Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
At Maison Falleur
Cambrai, France
April 1990 Art Inuit: la Sculpture des Esquimaux du Canada
Presented by l’Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai
At Palais de’Europe
Le Touquet, France
June – July 1990 Small Sculptures from across the Canadian Arctic
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
December 1990 New Miniature Sculpture
Gallery Phillip
Don Mills, Ontario
February 1991 Animals of the Arctic
Arctic Inuit Art
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.
April – May 1991 Inuit Master Carvers
Show Goose Associates
Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
November – December 1991 Second Generation Cape Dorset Carvers
Albers Gallery
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
January – March 1992 Images of Influence: Contemporary Inuit Art
Surrey Art Gallery
Surrey, British Columbia
February – August 1992 Inuit Art on the Mezzanine: New Acquisitions
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(illustrated brochure)
April – May 1992 Two Young Carvers from Cape Dorset: Toonoo Sharky and Qiatsuq Shaa
The Isaacs/Innuit Gallery
Toronto, Ontario
(illustrated brochure)
October – November 1992 Arctic Ice: Sculptures in Marble by the Artists of Cape Dorset, N.W.T.
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November – December 1992 Inuit Sculpture – New Acquisitions
Pucker Gallery
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
November – December 1992 Sculpture Inuit
Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec
Montreal, Quebec
March – April 1993 The Theme of Transformation in Inuit Sculpture
The Isaacs/Innuit Gallery
Toronto, Ontario
June – July 1993 The Next Generation – Inuit Sculpture
Gallery Indigena
Stratford, Ontario
October – November 1993 Sculpture and Graphics from Cape Dorset
Art Space Gallery
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
November – December 1993 The Treasured Monument
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November – December 1993 Inuit Sculpture
Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec
Montreal, Quebec
January 1994 Shamans and Transformations
Albers Gallery
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
October 1994 Sculpture of the Inuit: Major Works by the Masters of Stone
Maslak McLeod Canadian Art
Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.
April – June 1995 The Birds of Cape Dorset: A collection of sculpture by 32 Cape Dorset Carvers
Albers Gallery
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
May – September 1995 Keeping Our Stories Alive: An Exhibition of the Art and Crafts from the Dene and Inuit of Canada
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.
(illustrated catalogue)
July 1995 Sunakutagnuvalautut: Things from the Past
Orca Aart Gallery
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
November – December 1995 Miniaturen
Inuit Galerie
Mannheim, Germany
(brochure)
March – April 1996 Major/Minor
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
November 1996 Small Sculptures by Great Artists V
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
November – December 1996 New Visions
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
November – December 1996 Sculpture Inuit
Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec
Montreal, Quebec
(brochure)
January 1997 Transitions: Contemporary Canadian Indian and Inuit Art
Presented by Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Paris, France
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
February – April 1997 Stone & Bone
The Inuit Master Carvers of the Canadian Arctic
The North West Company
Held at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities
Ketchum, Idaho, U.S.A.
March – April 1997 Major/Minor
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
March – April 1997 itinraire inuit
Rencontrer un peuple travers son art
Held at the Unesco Headquarters
Sponsored by Association Inukshuk L’homme debo
Paris, France
(catalogue)
May 1997 Nunavut/Nunavik: Sculpture in the Time of Change
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
May 1997 Three Younger Masters: Tuck Nuna, Turaq Ragee and Toonoo Sharky
Loondance Gallery/Galerie L’envol Du Huart
Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
May – September 1998 Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife
By Cape Dorset Inuit Artists
River Gallery
Fergus, Ontario
November 1998 Sculpture from the Canadian Arctic
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
October 1999 Horizons
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
October – November 1999 Toonoo Sharky: Facing Dorset
Exhibition by John Reeves (Photographer)
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
(illustrated brochure)
June – July 2000 Die Kunst aus der Arktis
Exhibition title: Art in Stone
Canadian Arctic Gallery (Grunder)
Hammerstrasse 50, Basel, Switzerland
(illustrated catalogue)
November, 2000 Small Sculptures by Great Artists
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
November, 2001 Small Sculptures by Great Artists (November 2001)
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
September – October 2002 Imagination
Canadian Arctic Gallery
Grunder
Basel, Schweiz, Switerland
October 2003 Modern Inuit: Toonoo Sharky, Napatchie Sharky
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
Spring 2005 Cape Dorset Sculpture
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
2006 Rhythms in Motion
Galerie d’art Vincent
Ottawa, Ontario
(illustrated catalogue)
December 2005 – January 2006 Small Sculptures by Great Artists
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
January – May 2006 In the Shadow of the Sun: Sami and Inuit Art
Art Gallery of Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
July – September 2006 Out of the Ordinary – Cape Dorset Sculpture
Gallery Indigena
Stratford, Ontario
2006 Mini-Masterworks
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
October 2006 Pudlalik Shaa and Toonoo Sharky: Sculpture
The Albers Gallery
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
November – December 2006 Arctic Miniatures
The Albers Gallery
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
December 2006 – January 2007 Small Sculpture by Great Artists
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
July – August 2007 Timmiat: Inuit Sculpture of Birds
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
April – May, 2008 Arctic Wind – An Expression of Naturalism
Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
Oct. – Nov, 2008 Shaman, Sedna and Spirits
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
October, 2008 Transfigurations
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
September – October, 2009 Power and Passion
Canadian Arctic Gallery
Basel, Switzerland
October – November, 2009 Mini Masterworks 3
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
October, 2009 – January, 2010 Nunannguaq: In the Likeness of the Earth
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
Kleinburg, Ontario
December, 2009 Small Sculptures by Great Artists
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
(illustrated brochure)
October, 2010 Arctic Wind III: An Expression of Survival
Coastal Peoples Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated brochure)
January – February 2011 20 Great Sculptures
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
January – February, 2011 Small Treasures 2011
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
April, 2011 Flight Across the Tundra
Balzac Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
April 2011 Continuum
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
September, 2011 Fall Migration:
A Selection of Birds in Sculpture, Prints and Drawings
Feheley Fine Arts
Toronto, Ontario
November, 2011 Sharky Family
Kulik Art Inuit
Quebec City, Quebec
October, 2011 Stone and Paper
Cape Dorset 2011
Native Art Gallery
Oakville, ON
(illustrated catalogue)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
February, 2010 Toonoo Sharky Sculptures
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
November – December 2011 Toonoo Sharky – Transformations
Canadian Arctic Gallery
Basel, Switzerland
COLLECTIONS:
Musee d’art Inuit Brousseau, Quebec City, Quebec
Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
HONOURS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND EVENTS:
1991 Attended Qatuujiqatgit Sanaguatit-Contemporary Carving/Sculpting Session organized by the Inuit Artists’ College at the Ottawa School of Art in April/May.
1994 Travelled to Coral Gables, Florida, U.S.A., to participate in the International Festival of Craft Arts, winning first prize for sculpture.
SELECTED REFERENCES:
Hessel, Ingo
ARCTIC SPIRIT: Inuit Art from the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum, Heard Museum/Douglas & McIntyre, 2006.
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
KEEPING OUR STORIES ALIVE: An Exhibition of the Art and Crafts from the Dene and Inuit
of Canada. Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.: Institute of American Native Arts Museum,1995.
Inuit Galerie
INUIT MINIATUREN. Mannheim, Germany: Inuit Galerie,1990.
Inuit Galerie
TOONOO SHARKY. Mannheim, Germany: Inuit Galerie, 1991.
Marion Scott Gallery
ARCTIC ICE: SCULPTURES IN MARBLE BY THE ARTISTS OF CAPE DORSET, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES. Vancouver, B.C.: Marion Scott Gallery, 1992.
Marion Scott Gallery
THE TREASURED MONUMENT: An Exhibition of Small-Scale Inuit Sculpture. Vancouver, B.C.: Marion Scott Gallery, 1993.
Mitchell, Marybelle
SEVEN ARTISTS IN OTTAWA. Inuit Art Quarterly, 6(3), Summer 1991: pp. 6 – 17.