1972 - 2022
Salliq, NU

Daniel Shimout is an artist based in Salliq (Coral Harbour), NU, where he was born and raised. He has been carving since his teenage years, following in the footsteps of many artists in his family.

Daniel Shimout grew up watching his father, Anakudlak Shimout, carve and learned about the different tools and techniques he used, which influences some of the processes Shimout uses today. Shimout started carving at the young age of 16 and has been carving for over 25 years now. In the early stages of his career he mastered carvings of boats and small ivory pieces. Since then his work has taken on more spiritual themes such as Sednas and shamans. Shimout also started carving works such as Merman (2017) after he saw some of his grandfather’s work at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and noticed that his grandfather had created mermaids. In Shimout’s words, “I used to be shy about making mermaids, but I am going to make more now after finally seeing my grandpa’s work” [3].

Shimout’s unique fusion of realism and fantasy creates original and extraordinary sculpture. Shimout’s delicately rendered figures include minute details such as teeth and fingernails and details of clothing such as buttons and belts. He is well known for his carvings depicting animals and camp life and more recently focusing on Inuit legends. Shimout’s love of history and Inuit stories, combined with his immense attention for detail, forms an impressive and distinct collection of works. Further, he incorporates multiple forms of media to create a variety of textures including ivory, baleen, antler and stone, some of which he finds on his hunting trips.

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