Johnnysa Mathewsie

(1984 - )

Date of Birth : 11 August 1984

Place of Birth:  Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay)

Family: Johnnysa comes from a long line of artists: his father Qiatsuq, his uncle Palaya Qiatsuq, his grandfather Lukta Qiatsuq, and his great-grandfather, the renowned Kiakshuk.

Residence: Cape Dorset

Style Description:  Well-made pieces that take some effort. His work manifests integrity as opposed to work that is slick, stereotypic and churned out. Stylistically there is some family resemblance.

Artist Development: Johnnysa enjoys carving and will  try different subjects and types of stone. In keeping with the family tradition, he sometimes carves shamanistic pieces. Johnnysa’s grandfather taught him to carve when he was 12 years old. After making a couple of carvings, he stopped for three years. But since the age of 15 he has been supporting himself almost exclusively through carving.

While Johnnysa is still at the beginning of his artistic career he shows promise. His work is carried by many well-known Inuit galleries including: Feheley Fine Arts in Toronto and Galerie Elca London in Montreal and a few others in the U.S.

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