Description
A traditional Ajagaq Game by Daniel Shimout from Coral Harbour.
Ajagaq is a children’s game traditionally made from two pieces of seal bone and a skin thong. Ajjagak (sometimes spelled ajagak or ajagaq) can be traced back more than 2500 years in Greenland and other parts of the Arctic. Ajjajak is among the oldest of the traditional cup-and-ball games, which have gone by many names through history, including bibloquet in France and Kendama in Japan.
Biography Daniel Shimout (from Inuit Art Quarterly)
Daniel Shimout was an artist based in Salliq (Coral Harbour), NU, where he was born and raised. He carved since his teenage years, following in the footsteps of many artists in his family.
Daniel Shimout grew up watching his father, Anakudlak Shimout, carve. Anakudlak’s different tools and techniques influenced some of the processes Shimout used throughout his career. Shimout started carving at the young age of 16. In the early stages of his career he mastered carvings of boats and small ivory pieces. Afterwards his work has took 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”.
Shimout’s unique fusion of realism and fantasy created 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 was well known for his carvings depicting animals and camp life, later in his career focusing on Inuit legends. Shimout’s love of history and Inuit stories, combined with his immense attention for detail, formed an impressive and distinct collection of works. He incorporated multiple forms of media to create a variety of textures including ivory, baleen, antler and stone, some of which he found on his hunting trips.
Shimout has had several gallery and museum exhibitions, with his first solo exhibition in 2014 at Feheley Fine Arts in Toronto, ON.
