Mark Totan - Inuk Master Carver - Biography
Born in 1951, Mr. Mark Totan was a federally recognized Inuk Master Carver from the small community of Igloolik, located on Baffin Island in Nunavut, on the north shore of Hudson Bay.
From approximately 1941 to the late 1960s, the Canadian government used a disc number system to identify Inuit, replacing traditional names in official records due to difficulties with spelling and standardization!
During Project Surname (1968–1971), Inuit were given the opportunity to select family names, replacing many of the disc numbers. It was during this period that Mark Totan chose and federally registered his own name.
Before beginning his carving career, he worked as a catskinner on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line in Hull Bay. Over a professional career spanning 34 years (1988-2022), he worked with a variety of stones and antler mediums, producing original touching and expressive pieces.
Each of his carvings is original, reflecting the spirituality, history, heritage, symbolism, lifestyle, and talent of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Traditionally, this art form has been passed down from elder master carvers to younger family members, ensuring its continuation through generations. Mr. Totan’s sons, Tony and Clivelon, are also carvers.
As a Master Carver, Mr. Totan employed traditional carving methods and created original soapstone sculptures beginning in 1988. He often said that the stone itself determined the form of the piece. Many of his works depict spirit animals encountered in dreams or vision quests, each piece serving as a unique embodiment of a spiritual experience.
He was particularly renowned for his carvings of Canadian bears, taking exceptional care to render the texture of thick, loose fur and the muscular strength of the body. Many sculptures were crafted from soapstone sourced from around the world, including Canada, North and South America, China, and India, including lava rock. Each stone possesses unique characteristics reflecting its geographic origin.
However, during his later years, stone from British Columbia’s West Kootenay region such as serpentine, marble and granite, became his preferred medium and inspired the creation of his largest and most prized works.
Following traditional techniques, Mr. Totan first roughed out the stone with hammer and chisel, then refined it with files, rasps, and sandpaper. The final finish was achieved through polishing with liquid acrylic or Danish oil, highlighting the stone’s natural color and markings, which ranged from black, brown, and green to cream and white. Soapstone’s softness and luster allowed him to bring out the full character of each piece.
The artistry, time, and devotion evident in Mr. Totan’s sculptures make them treasured fine art pieces and deeply valued by collectors worldwide. Each piece evokes a profound emotional and cultural connection for those fortunate enough to own or experience them.
Mr. Totan’s works are included in numerous private and corporate collections and have been sold to exclusive collectors worldwide. His sculptures have been exhibited internationally, including in Germany, Sweden, England, the United States, and Canada. He has displayed and sold works through galleries across North America, including through the Hudson’s Bay Co-op, and his carvings have been commissioned for various corporate projects.
EXHIBITIONS
• 1998 The Power of Stone, Bayat Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 1997 Bears from the Arctic, Bayat Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 1997 Exhibition, Orca Art Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
COLLECTIONS
• Rowles and Company, Edmonton, Alberta
• Irving Oil, St. John, New Brunswick
• Chrysler Canada, Toronto, Ontario
• Government of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
• Mobile Oil, Calgary, Alberta
• Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, Grand Chief’s Office, Regina, Saskatchewan
• Prince Albert Grand Council, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
• Numerous private collections
From approximately 1941 to the late 1960s, the Canadian government used a disc number system to identify Inuit, replacing traditional names in official records due to difficulties with spelling and standardization!
During Project Surname (1968–1971), Inuit were given the opportunity to select family names, replacing many of the disc numbers. It was during this period that Mark Totan chose and federally registered his own name.
Before beginning his carving career, he worked as a catskinner on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line in Hull Bay. Over a professional career spanning 34 years (1988-2022), he worked with a variety of stones and antler mediums, producing original touching and expressive pieces.
Each of his carvings is original, reflecting the spirituality, history, heritage, symbolism, lifestyle, and talent of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Traditionally, this art form has been passed down from elder master carvers to younger family members, ensuring its continuation through generations. Mr. Totan’s sons, Tony and Clivelon, are also carvers.
As a Master Carver, Mr. Totan employed traditional carving methods and created original soapstone sculptures beginning in 1988. He often said that the stone itself determined the form of the piece. Many of his works depict spirit animals encountered in dreams or vision quests, each piece serving as a unique embodiment of a spiritual experience.
He was particularly renowned for his carvings of Canadian bears, taking exceptional care to render the texture of thick, loose fur and the muscular strength of the body. Many sculptures were crafted from soapstone sourced from around the world, including Canada, North and South America, China, and India, including lava rock. Each stone possesses unique characteristics reflecting its geographic origin.
However, during his later years, stone from British Columbia’s West Kootenay region such as serpentine, marble and granite, became his preferred medium and inspired the creation of his largest and most prized works.
Following traditional techniques, Mr. Totan first roughed out the stone with hammer and chisel, then refined it with files, rasps, and sandpaper. The final finish was achieved through polishing with liquid acrylic or Danish oil, highlighting the stone’s natural color and markings, which ranged from black, brown, and green to cream and white. Soapstone’s softness and luster allowed him to bring out the full character of each piece.
The artistry, time, and devotion evident in Mr. Totan’s sculptures make them treasured fine art pieces and deeply valued by collectors worldwide. Each piece evokes a profound emotional and cultural connection for those fortunate enough to own or experience them.
Mr. Totan’s works are included in numerous private and corporate collections and have been sold to exclusive collectors worldwide. His sculptures have been exhibited internationally, including in Germany, Sweden, England, the United States, and Canada. He has displayed and sold works through galleries across North America, including through the Hudson’s Bay Co-op, and his carvings have been commissioned for various corporate projects.
EXHIBITIONS
• 1998 The Power of Stone, Bayat Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 1997 Bears from the Arctic, Bayat Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• 1997 Exhibition, Orca Art Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
COLLECTIONS
• Rowles and Company, Edmonton, Alberta
• Irving Oil, St. John, New Brunswick
• Chrysler Canada, Toronto, Ontario
• Government of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
• Mobile Oil, Calgary, Alberta
• Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, Grand Chief’s Office, Regina, Saskatchewan
• Prince Albert Grand Council, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
• Numerous private collections