Manasie Akpaliapik facts for kids

Manasie Akpaliapik (born 1955) is a famous Inuk sculptor from Canada. He is known for creating beautiful sculptures from materials like bone, ivory, and stone. His artwork often shows human or animal shapes and is deeply connected to traditional Inuit beliefs and stories.

Manasie was born in 1955 in a hunting camp on Baffin Island, Nunavut. In 1967, his family moved to Ikpiarjuk, also known as Arctic Bay. Even though his parents were sculptors, Manasie 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, Indigenous languages and cultures were often discouraged. Manasie left the residential school when he was 16 years old.

After leaving school, Manasie married Noodloo and returned to Arctic Bay. Later, after a very difficult time in his life, Manasie moved to Montreal and then to Toronto. This period marked a new beginning for him as an artist.

Manasie Akpaliapik's Artworks

Manasie Akpaliapik creates sculptures using materials like bone, ivory, and stone. His artworks usually show human figures or animals. These sculptures are often linked to traditional Inuit beliefs and legends. 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.

This means he wants his art to help keep Inuit culture and traditions alive for everyone to see and learn about.

In 1989, Manasie received a special grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. This grant helped him study different parts of Inuit culture, such as drumming and making kayaks. This project was 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. He was long-listed for the Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award, which is a big honor for artists.

Where to See His Art

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

Past Exhibitions

• In 2017, the Art Gallery of Ontario held a special exhibition that showed 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. It was the first time this museum dedicated an entire exhibition to a single Inuk artist.
• In 2024, the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal brought back and expanded the 2021 exhibition. It was also called Manasie Akpaliapik, Inuit Universe.