Falcon Atop Igloo

Taloyoak
Stone
6.75” x 4.5” x 2”

This intriguing sculpture by Charlie Ugyuk presents a wide-eyed falcon perched atop a finely carved igloo, rendered from a single piece of stone. Known for his allegorical and often otherworldly imagery, Ugyuk also had a deep reverence for Arctic wildlife, particularly birds of prey, which he returned to throughout his career. While the falcon was a frequent motif in his work, its placement atop a domed igloo is an unusual choice, blending the natural and human-made worlds in a way that invites symbolic interpretation.

The falcon is rendered with bold clarity, its slender form balanced in alert stillness. Inlaid eyes of ivory and stone animate its presence. The igloo beneath is carefully shaped, its surface carved to suggest the blocks of hard-packed snow used in traditional Inuit architecture. As with much of his work, this sculpture walks the line between the real and the symbolic.