Kellypalik Qimirpik

Cape Dorset sculptor Kellypalik Qimirpik was born in 1948. He first learned to carve, while in his teens, from his brother Allashua Atsiaq and began carving seriously in his twenties. He preferred to depict Arctic animals and carved polar bears, seals and walruses to appeal to the wider art market.  He is known for realistic depictions of dancing wildlife and transformative compositions with human faces emerging from the stone. Kelly explored various subjects over the years using his vivid imagination and stories from his elders.  He explored animal transformations and shamanistic themes with great skill and knowledge.

He was an avid carver, and his career was marked by important commissions and exhibitions. In 2002, he was involved in a large sculptural project in Toronto’s former Battery Park (now The Toronto Inukshuk Park); his 30 foot high inuksuk sculpture was installed to commemorate World Youth Day and the visit of Pope John Paul II to Toronto. Kellypalik created the maquette and selected the rose granite from Dryden, Ontario as it is a similar colour to stone found around Kinngait. Kellypalik carved the individual components from 50 tonnes of stone while heavy machinery put the sculpture into place.

In addition to this major project, Kellypalik’s work was exhibited across Canada and internationally, including the decade long touring exhibition Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks.  His works are also held in the permanent collections of the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Manitoba and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, ON.

Kellipalik Qimirpik passed away in 2017.