Museum of Contemporary Circumpolar Art (MCCA)

Object

Spirit of the Art of the Bone / Standing Figure holding a double-faced mask (Sculpture)

Passierschein: 804187, 27. March 2026 Goota Ashoona's works in soapstone and whalebone, reveal the strong influence of her father's (Kiugak Ashoona) style, while her whalebone carvings are revered for her delicate but detailed treatment of figurative subjects as represented in the Janus mask being held by the Spirit. The Janus mask hods two perspectivesd at once: one face gazes in the past, carrying memory, knowledge and the traces of all we have lived; the other turns toward the future, open to change, possibility and the unknown. Between them liesthe present - the threshold where reflection meets intention.

Accession
2025.25
Object Type
Sculpture
Title
Spirit of the Art of the Bone
Description
Standing Figure holding a double-faced mask
Production Year
1997/1998
Production Location
Yellowknifw, Northwest Territories, Canada
Materials
Whalebone, caribou bone, sinew
Dimensions
H41.3 x W31.8 x D15.2 cm
Provenance
First Arts Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Photographs