Tukiki Manumie

Biography

Tukiki Manumie was an artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU whose practice included carving, drawing, printmaking and jewellery. Coming from a family of many artists, Manumie experimented with graphics and made interesting, highly patterned drawings though he is best known for his serpentinite carvings [1].

Manumie’s distinct, sinuous carvings of birds, fish and scenes of transformations are more suggestive than figurative. His penchant for elongated forms and curved edges sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes his work, which sometimes borders on the abstract, instantly recognizable [2]. In Manumie’s piece Transformation (n.d.) the carved figure resembles a bird in mid-motion of beating its wings to take off. Manumie gives the viewer a glimpse into the moment where this figure is split between two worlds, transforming into a spiritual being. Manumie’s work has been called “a major contribution to the Inuit aesthetic” [3] as his personal style balances the traditional and contemporary as he engages with Inuit practices, spirituality and daily life.

Manumie’s work has been exhibited across Canada, the United Stated and Europe and is included in many prominent museums and public collections throughout Canada and internationally including the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON, the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Winnpieg, MB and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON.



This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé en partie par le gouvernement du Canada.

Tukiki Manumie était un artiste originaire de Kinngait (Cape Dorset), au Nunavut, dont la pratique comprenait la sculpture, le dessin, la gravure et la bijouterie. Issu d’une famille de nombreux artistes, Manumie a expérimenté les arts graphiques et a réalisé des dessins à motifs, bien qu’il soit surtout reconnu pour ses sculptures en serpentinite. Ses sculptures distinctes et sinueuses d’oiseaux, de poissons et de scènes de transformation sont plus suggestives que figuratives. Sa préférence pour les formes allongées et les bords incurvés le distingue de ses contemporains et fait que ses œuvres, qui frisent parfois l’abstrait, sont immédiatement reconnaissables. Dans l’œuvre de Manumie intitulée « Transformation » (s.d.), la figure sculptée ressemble à un oiseau en mouvement qui bat des ailes pour prendre son envol. Manumie donne à l’observateur un petit aperçu du moment où cette figure chevauche deux mondes alors qu’elle se transforme en être spirituel. Les œuvres de Manumie ont été qualifiées de « contribution majeure à l’esthétique inuite », puisque son style personnel harmonise la tradition et l’art contemporain en représentant les pratiques, la spiritualité et la vie quotidienne des Inuits. Les œuvres de Manumie ont été exposées à travers le Canada, les États-Unis et l’Europe et font partie des collections publiques importantes de nombreux musées au Canada et à l’échelle internationale, y compris le Musée des beaux-arts du Canada à Ottawa, en Ontario, le Musée des beaux-arts de Winnipeg, au Manitoba et le Musée des beaux-arts de l’Ontario à Toronto, en Ontario.
ᑐᑭᕿ ᒪᓄᒥ ᐅᓇ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑎ ᑭᓐᖓᓂᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓴᓇᓲᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᖢᒥ, ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᖢᓂ, ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᑦᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒥᑭᓕᕋᓕᐅᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᔭᒥᓕᐅᖅᖢᓂ. ᑖᒃᑯᓇᖔᕋᒥ ᐃᓚᒌᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑎᑦ, ᒪᓄᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᖢᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᓂ, ᐆᒃᑑᑎᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᑕᐃᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᕗᖅ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᒐᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᓲᖅ. ᒪᓄᒥ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ, ᓴᖑᖓᐅᖅᑎᓪᖢᒋᑦ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑎᖕᒥᐊᖑᐊᓂᒃ, ᐃᖃᓗᖑᐊᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᓱᕈᖑᐊᓯᔪᓂᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᕈᑎᖏᑦ ᑭᓱᐊᖑᓕᐊᕆᖃᑦ. ᐊᔪᖏᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᖑᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᐃᓱᖏᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒋᔭᐅᓚᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᕈᓯᑐᖃᕐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᓴᓇᖃᑦᑕᕋᒥᒋᑦ, ᐅᑯᐊ ᐃᓛᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᕙᒃᖢᒋᑦ, ᐃᕐᖏᓐᓇᖅ ᑖᔅᓱᒧᖓ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓇᓗᓇᖏᑦᑐᑦ. ᒪᓄᒥ ᓴᓇᔭᖓ Transformation (ᑭᓱᖑᐊᕈᓕᖅᑐᖅ) (ᐅᓪᓗᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ) ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑕᖓ ᐊᔾᔨᐸᓗᐊ ᑎᖕᒥᐊᖑᐊᖅ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᕋᓱᖑᐊᖅᑐᖅ. ᒪᓄᒥ ᑕᑯᑎᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᑕᑯᔪᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᓂᖓ ᐊᕕᒃᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᒃ, ᑭᓱᒍᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᑦ ᑕᕐᓂᑦ. ᒪᓄᒥᐅᑉ ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᑎᖃᖅᑐᑦ “ᐊᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᔪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᔾᔮᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ” ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᖕᒥᓂ ᓴᓇᔾᔪᓯᓂ ᐋᕿᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑖᒥ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᔭᐅᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᓯᖏᑦ, ᑕᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖏᑦ. ᒪᓄᒥᐅᑉ ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦ ᓴᕿᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, ᔪᓇᐃᑎᑦ ᓯᑕᐃᑦᔅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔫᓚᑉ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᒥᓱ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᓄᐊᑦᑎᓯᒪᕕᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᒥ ᐅᑯᐊ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑲᓇᑕ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖓᓂ, ᐋᑐᕚᒥ, ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᐅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕕᓂᐲᒃ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᕕᓂᐲᒃ, ᒫᓂᑑᐸ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᐅ, ᑐᓛᓐᑐ ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᐅ.

Artist Work

About Tukiki Manumie

Medium:

Graphic Arts, Jewellery, Sculpture

Artistic Community:

Kinngait, Nunavut, Inuit Nunangat

Date of Birth:

Artists may have multiple birth years listed as a result of when and where they were born. For example, an artist born in the early twentieth century in a camp outside of a community centre may not know/have known their exact date of birth and identified different years.

Kimmirut, NU
1952

Date of Death:

Artists may have multiple dates of death listed as a result of when and where they passed away. Similar to date of birth, an artist may have passed away outside of a community centre or in another community resulting in different dates being recorded.

2017

Edit History

March 19, 2018 Created By: Lera Kotsyuba