First Name: Jutai

Last Name: Toonoo

Full Name: Jutai Felix Toonoo

Name in syllabics: N/A

Alternative Names:

• Toonoo Toonoo

• Jutai Toonoo

• Felix Toonoo

Date of birth: December 5, 1959

Place of birth: Outpost camp near Kinngait, Nunavut, Canada

Date of death: December 28, 2015

Place of death: Nunavut, Cape Dorset

Community / Heritage: Kinngait

Sex: Male

Disc Number: E71682

Website: N/A

Art Media: : Drawing, jewellery, printmaking, sculpture/carving, stone.

Bio:

Jutai Felix Toonoo was an Inuit contemporary artist, sculptor, jeweller, and graphic artist. He was born in 1959 in Cape Dorset to artists Sheojuk and Toonoo; his siblings are renowned sculptors Oviloo Tunnillie and Samonie Toonoo. The family followed a traditional way of life, feeding themselves off the land. Encouraged to try carving by his father, Toonoo made his first pieces when he was seven years old.

By 1982, carving became Toonoo’s major source of income. A few years later, Toonoo decided to take a break from carving and work in an office, but by the 1990s he had returned to art making full time. In 1995, he completed a course in jewellery and metalwork at the Nunavut Arctic College, Iqaluit, which helped him improve his carving techniques. He also became involved with the drawing and printmaking programs out of the Kinngait Studios.

In the early 2000s, Toonoo started working in various two-dimensional media, becoming one of the first artists in Cape Dorset to use oil sticks. His works on paper and in stone are bold, powerful and complex. Shifting away from traditional subjects, Toonoo added a new dimension to contemporary Inuit art, often using text in both sculptures and drawings. He documented personal struggles, social changes and concerns, including as substance abuse, addiction and isolation through his work. 

In 2013, Toonoo’s work was featured in “Sakahàn: International Indigenous Art,” an exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Canada.

Toonoo is celebrated as a major contributor to the evolution of contemporary Inuit art. His work has been exhibited extensively across Canada, the USA and Europe. His drawings and carvings can be found in numerous prominent private and public collections, including the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the McMichael and the National Gallery of Canada.

Articles:

·       https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/jutai-toonoo-inuit-sculptor-went-against-the-grain/article28640452/

·       https://bordercrossingsmag.com/article/face-value1

·       https://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2016/01/06/jutai-toonoo-iconoclastic-arctic-artist-dies-in-nunavut/

·       http://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674nunavut_studio_says_goodbye_to_veteran_artists/

·       https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the-true-north-strong-and-fresh/article21146740/

·       https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674inuit_artists_prominent_in_prestigious_international_exhibition/

Exhibitions:

·       1990: "Art Inuit”, Palais L’Europe, Le Touquet, France

·       1990: “Art Inuit”, Thonon les Bains, Thonon les Bains, France

·       1991: “Art Inuit”, Galerie La Tour des Cardinaux, L’Isle sur la Sorgue, France

·       1992: “Inuit Art on the Mezzanine: New Acquisitions”, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

·       1993: “Multiple Realities: Inuit Images of Shamanic Transformation”, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

·       1993: “Sculpture and Graphics from Cape Dorset”, Art Space Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

·       1996: “Major/Minor”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1996: “Oviloo Tunnillie, Jutai Toonoo and Tytoosie Tunnillie”, Albers Gallery, San Francisco, California, USA 

·       1996: “Small Sculptures by Great Artists”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       1997: “Major/Minor”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       1999: “Jutai Toonoo: Facing Dorset”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       1999: “Dorset Magic: Four Decades of Sculpture”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2000: “Arctic Spirit – Canadian Inuit Sculpture”, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, USA

·       2000: “Seven Emerging Artists from Cape Dorset”, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2001: “Small Sculptures by Great Artists”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2002: "My Boat Sank!: An Exhibition of New Sculpture by Jutai Toonoo”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2002: “Jutai, Oviloo, Samonie Toonoo: Toonoo’s Legacy”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2002: “The Unexpected”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2003: “Stone Carvings from Oviloo Tunnillie and Her Family”, Arctic Artistry, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, USA

·       2005: “Momentum: 7 Emerging Artists from Cape Dorset”, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2005: “Cape Dorset Sculpture”, Spirit Wrestler Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2005: “Life Forms/Jutai Toonoo in Cape Dorset”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2005: “Unique Visions”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2005 - 2006: “Small Sculptures by Great Artists”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2006: “Out of the Ordinary: Cape Dorset Sculpture”, Gallery Indigena, Stratford, Ontario, Canada

·       2006 - 2007: “Small Sculptures by Great Artists”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2007: “From the Back Room”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2008: “Breaking Ground: New Oil Stick Drawings from Cape Dorset”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2009: “Extreme Drawing”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2009: “Mixed Media from Cape Dorset”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2009: “New Views on Old Traditions”, Craft Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2009: “Arctic Spirit: 50th Anniversary of Cape Dorset’s Kinngait Studios”, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2009: “Small Sculptures by Great Artists”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2009 - 2010: “Nunnanguaq: In the Likeness of the Earth”, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada

·       2009 - 2010: “Uuturautiit: Cape Dorset Celebrates 50 Years of Printmaking”, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       2010: “Small Sculptures by Great Artists”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2010: Cape Dorset 2010 Annual Print Collection, The Canadian Guild Of Crafts, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

·       2010: “Big, Bold & Beautiful: Large-Scale Drawings from Kinngait”, Museum of Inuit Art, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2010: “Facing Forward – New Works from Kinngait Studios”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2010: “North Meets South”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2010: “Major Sculpture: Summer 2010”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2011: “Arctic Wind III: An Expression of Survival”, Coastal Peoples Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2011: “Dorset Large: Large-Scale Drawings from Cape Dorset”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2011: “Small Treasures 2011”, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2011: “20 Great Sculptures”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2011: “Continuum”, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2011: “Sweet Innovation: Sugar Lift Etchings by Tony Angahadlaq, Kenojuak Ashevak, Jamesie Pitseolak and Jutai Toonoo”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2011: “Stone and Paper: Cape Dorset 2011”, Native Art Gallery, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

·       2011: “Contemporary North: Drawings from Cape Dorset”, Madrona Gallery, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

·       2012: “Colour”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2012: “Jutai Toonoo: Multimedia”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2012: “Changing Hands: Art without Reservation 3”, Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY, USA

·       2012: “Dorset Now”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2012: “The Unexpected”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2012: “Jutai Toonoo: Body Contemplation”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2012 - 2013: “Small Sculptures by Great Artists”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2013: “Exploring Cape Dorset Art”, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada

·       2013: “Where Do We Come From? What are We? Where are We Going? Identity in Contemporary Cape Dorset Art”, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada

·       2013: “Dorset Seen”, Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       2013: “Sakahàn: International Indigenous Art”,National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       2013: “Drawings: Contemporary Perspectives by Cape Dorset Artists”, La Guilde|The Guild, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

·       2014: “Views from the North: Original Drawings from Cape Dorset”, Alaska on Madison, New York, NY, USA

·       2014: “From the Vault”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2014: “Cape Dorset: New Generation”, Willock and Sax Gallery Banff Art Gallery, Banff, Alberta, Canada

·       2014: “North-South Encounter”, Pierre-François Ouellette Art Contemporain, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

·       2014: “Jutai Toonoo: Still Life”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2014: “Jutai Toonoo: Still Life”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2014-2015: “Shine a Light: Canadian Biennale 2014”, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       2015: “Over the Top”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2015: “Fifteen Years: Kingait 2000-2015”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2015: “Art Forms Winter 2015”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2016: “Jutai Toonoo”, Madrona Gallery, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

·       2016: “Jutai Toonoo: Life-A Retrospective”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2016 - 2017: “The Voiced Plate: Contemporary Inuit Prints”, Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

·       2018: “Spectacular Beings”, Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       2019: “RBC Lounge”, Masterpiece International Art Fair, London, UK

Awards:

·       2014: Artist-in-residence at the Art Gallery of Ontario as part of the TD Bank Financial Group's Visiting Artists Program.

Collections:

·       Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

·       Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

·       Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

·       National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·       TD Bank Financial Group, Canada

·       Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

·       McMichael Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada

Exhibitions

• Art Inuit, Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai at Thonon les Bains
• Art Inuit, Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai at Palais de l'Europe
• Art Inuit, Presented by l'Iglou Art Esquimau, Douai at Galerie La Tour des Cardinaux
• Inuit Art on the Mezzanine: New Acquisitions, Winnipeg Art Gallery
• Major/Minor, Marion Scott Gallery
• Multiple Realities: Inuit Images of Shamanic Transformation, Winnipeg Art Gallery
• Sculpture and Graphics from Cape Dorset, Art Space Gallery

Collections

• Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg