SUQUALUK AKESUK (SHOOQUALOO) Born: March 3, 1959 Male E7-1669 Resides: Iqaluit; also lived in Cape Dorset, Salluit and Catherine Bay Sculpture Suqualuk Akesuk (also known as Shooqualoo) was born on March 3, 1959, in the community of Cape Dorset, Baffin Island, Northwest Territories. He presently resides back and forth between Iqaluit and Cape Dorset. He also used to live in Salluit. Suqualuk is the adopted son of Cape Dorset artists Simaiyok and Latcholassie Akesuk. The latter is the son of Cape Dorset sculptor Tudlik. Suqualuk's adopted sister, Milutituk Petaulassie, is also a sculptor. Suqualuk's favourite subject matter are beluga whales, often diving, and birds, especially ptarmigan. He is able to capture the movement and vitality as he sees them first hand. His carvings are naturalistically rendered, with smooth and flowing curves and subtle details. Suqualuk carves his sculpture out of serpentine, a very hard metamorphic rock indigenous to Lower Baffin Island. This stone has a composition very similar to Jade and its colour varies from light green to dark brown or black, due to inclusion of other minerals. EXHIBITIONS: April 1988 [L'art inuit] Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai at Palais de L'Europe, Le Touquet France July 1988 [L'art inuit] Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai at Chapelle de la Visitation, Thonon France April - June 1995 The Birds of Cape Dorset: 32 Cape Dorset Carvers Albers Gallery San Francisco, California, U.S.A. (illustrated brochure) |