QIMIRPIK, KELLYPALIK

INUIT, CAPE DORSET 1948-2017

Biography"Kellypalik Qimirpik (1948-2017) was a sculptor based out of Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU. Born in Ikirasaq, he first learned to carve as a teenager from his brother Allashua Atsiaq and began developing his artistic practice in his twenties. Qimirpik’s sculptures were generally voluminous but capably balanced the weight of the stone without becoming overwhelmed by the density of the material. He is known for his depictions of dancing wildlife and transformative compositions with human faces emerging from the stone./../

Qimirpik’s work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally including Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks, a decade-long touring exhibition inaugurated at the United Nations in New York City in 1989. in 2002 he sculpted a 30 foot high inukshuk which was installed in the Toronto Inukshuk Park to commemorate World Youth Day. His works are also held in the permanent collections of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, MB and the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON."

(Inuit Art Foundation, 2025)

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