Koomuatuk Curley

Koomuatuk (Kuzy) Curley is a talented sculptor, director and videographer from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU. Curley learned to carve from his grandparents during the summers he spent as a child at their outpost camp near Kinngait. He began his professional carving career while in junior high school. Recently, he completed a commissioned 26-ton granite sculpture with Ruben Komangapik titled Ahqahizu installed on York University campus, Toronto. The sculpture was funded as part of the Mobilizing Inuit Cultural Heritage (MICH) project. Curley’s work was also featured in the exhibition Tatigi (July 2015), which was curated for the Gales Gallery at York University as an extension of the sculpture project, Ahgahizu. 

Curley produces works of various scales from some weighing at over 100 pounds to miniatures as small as a nickel. In February 2014, he collaborated with Bill Nasogaluak on a Government of Canada commission for the creation of an Inuksuk, given as a gift from the people of Canada to the people of India. The Inuksuk, which is 2.5 metres high and 1.5 metres wide, is made up of eight massive stones from Kingston, ON with the orientation of its arms directing northwest towards Canada. He is also working on a series of interviews with artists from across Nunavut resulting in an ongoing video project. In 2014 Curley directed his film Kiawak Ashoona and has exhibited his work across Canada including iNuit Blanche 2016 in St. John’s, NL. 

Most recently, Curley was part of the Inuit curatorial team for the exhibition Tunnirrusiangit: Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto from June 16, 2018 until August 12, 2018.

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Accomplishments

2016: Panelist for the Inuit Communities Panel on Digital Storytelling
2016: Commissioned to create a sculptural work with Ruben Anton Komangapik at York University, as part of the Mobilizing Inuit Cultural Heritage project
2016: Panelist for the Inuit Art IV: The State of the Inuit Art Market Panel, Memorial University
2014: Film screening for Kiawak Ashoona at the 19th Inuit Studies Conference
2014: Head sculptor in the creation of a gift for the Inuit Circumpolar Council
2014: Commissioned by the Government of Canada to create an Inukshuk with artist Bill Nasogaluak as a gift to India.