John Taylor

John Taylor was born in 1990 and grew up in Tuktoyaktuk, NT surrounded by land and the Arctic Ocean which was like playground for the future artist.  In Tuktoyaktuk, NT there are many carvers known for their realism and mystical atmosphere. Participating in the Great Northern Arts Festival gave him notice and he was able to continue on his family name and show his skill set. He has been apart of the Great Northern Arts Festival for close to 5 years and will continue to show his work. In one his pieces, he creates two polar bears fighting but with a sense of playfulness and movement between the tension of the two bears. Echoing and mirroring each other there is a sense of closeness highlighted from the shine from the wax. Taylor’s work mostly consists of animals that he has seen and harvested in his hometown in Tuktoyaktuk.  Documenting movements and space within the sculptures and creating a sense of recognition of the animals such as the polar bear. 

In many ways, being the youngest has proven to be an asset for the young carver allowing him  to learn all the stories and techniques of his mentors and his work continues to sell alongside his family’s. John continues to experiment with different subjects and stories. He also still hunts beluga whales, caribou and fishes, living on the land. These actions are his main inspiration that he will mostly likely will immerse himself with forever.



This Profile was made possible through support from the RBC Foundation’s Emerging Artists Project.