Tukiki Manumie

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.