John Taylor

John Taylor was born in 1990 and grew up in Tuktuuyaqtuuq (Tuktoyaktuk), Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, surrounded by land and the Arctic Ocean, which was like playground for the future artist. Taylor first garnered attention after participating in the Great Northern Arts Festival, where he exihibted for over five years. However, Taylor has been creating for much longer; as the third generation of the sculpting Taylor family, he was surrounded by sculpture from a young age and taught by the relatives around him how to handle stone.

In one of Taylor's pieces he created 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 by the shine from the wax. Taylor’s work mostly consists of animals that he has seen and harvested in his hometown in Tuktuuyaqtuuq. 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 in his family has proven to be an asset for the young carver, allowing him to learn all the stories and techniques of his mentors. His work continues to sell alongside his family’s, and Taylor 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.