Manasie Akpaliapik facts for kids

Manasie Akpaliapik (born in 1955) is a talented Inuk sculptor from Canada. He is known for creating beautiful art from materials like bone, ivory, and stone.

Manasie was born in a hunting camp on Baffin Island, which is now part of Nunavut. In 1967, his family moved to Ikpiarjuk, also known as Arctic Bay. Even though his parents were sculptors, he learned to carve by watching his grandparents when he was just ten years old.

When he was 12, Manasie was sent to a residential school in Iqaluit. At these schools, children were often discouraged from speaking their own language and practicing their culture. Manasie left the residential school when he was 16.

Later, Manasie married a woman named Noodloo, and they returned to Arctic Bay with their two children. Sadly, in 1980, his wife and children died in a fire. After this tragedy, Manasie moved to Montreal and then to Toronto.

Manasie Akpaliapik's Artworks

Manasie Akpaliapik creates sculptures using bone, ivory, and stone. His artworks often show human or animal shapes and are deeply connected to traditional Inuit beliefs and stories. He started carving professionally after 1980.

Manasie explains his art by saying, "Everything that I'm doing is trying to capture some of the culture, about my traditions, simple things like hunting, wearing traditional clothing, harpoons, using legends. I feel that the only way we can preserve the culture is if people can see it." He wants his art to help keep Inuit culture alive for everyone to see and learn about.

In 1989, he received a special grant from the Canada Council of the Arts. This grant helped him study different parts of Inuit culture, like traditional drumming and how to make kayaks, for a project called North Baffin Island Legends. He also teaches workshops to share his knowledge about Inuit art with others.

In 2023, Manasie Akpaliapik was recognized for his amazing work and was long-listed for the Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award.

Where to See His Art: Exhibitions and Collections

Manasie Akpaliapik's sculptures are part of important art collections in Canada. You can find his works at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

In 2017, the Art Gallery of Ontario held a special exhibition that featured only his artworks.

In 2021, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec presented an exhibition called Manasie Akpaliapik Inuit Universe. This show featured works from the collection of Raymond Brousseau and was the first time this museum dedicated an exhibition to a single Inuk artist.

In 2024, the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal brought back and expanded on the 2021 exhibition, also calling it Manasie Akpaliapik, Inuit Universe.