|
|
THOMASSIAPIK SIVUARAPIK (SIVUARAPI; TAMUSIAPIK; KAJULA; TAMUSI;
TAOWSIAPIR; T. APIK; THOMASSIE)
Born: June 11, 1941 Male E9-1462
Resides: Puvirnituq
Sculpture, Crafts, Prints
Thomassiapik Sivuarapik was born on June 11, 1941 in a small camp about
ten miles south of Puvirnituq. He lives there with his wife Lizzie, also an
accomplished carver, and their four children. Two men who had particular
influence on Thomassiapik's artistic development were his father, Charlie
Sivuarapik, and his uncle, Isah Qumalu Sivuarapi. Both of these well-known
carvers encouraged Thomassiapik from an early age to translate into stone, the
various animal and figurative images in his mind's eye. Charlie was an
instrumental force in establishing the Povungnituk Sculptors Society;
Thomassiapik continued this family tradition of community leadership by acting
as a spokesperson for such important issues as establishing a hospital in the
region, and the James Bay Agreement.
Preferring to carve outdoors in his spacious light-filled tent,
Thomassiapik reveals his intimate knowledge of animal anatomy by his adherence
to precise detail. He is frequently frustrated by the poor quality of stone
available, and consequently, devotes many hours on hard-to-work areas in order
to attain the desired highly-polished surface. Thomassiapik also incorporates
other materials such as antler, bone, and small inlays of ivory into his
carvings. His individual pieces are as rich in texture as is his range of
subject matter, which includes bears, birds, otters, seals, walrus, Inuit
women and occasionally subjects from mythology; the latter are usually
variations on the legends of giants. Thomassiapik's carvings depict the old
ways of his culture, the realities of living in the northern environment, and
things learned directly from his experience as a hunter.
In 1967, Thomassiapik was chosen by the local cooperative to represent the
sculptors of Puvirnituq at Expo '67 in Montreal; he demonstrated carving
techniques for four months in the Canadian Pavilion. He has been down south
several times since that time. On one trip in May 1978, Thomassiapik had the
unique opportunity to meet the last surviving member of the Group of Seven,
A.J.Casson.
G. Mainprize & P. Brooks, interview with artist, Puvirnituq, September 1981.
M. Myers, interview with artist, May 1985.
Thomassiapik is the brother of Simiuni and Akinsie Sivuarapik.
EXHIBITIONS: 1967 The Eskimo Art Collection of the
Toronto-Dominion Bank
Toronto-Dominion Bank
Toronto, Ontario
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
1967 Eskimo Art in Northern Quebec
presented by La Federation des
Cooperatives du Nouveau-Quebec
at "Man and His World"
Montreal, Quebec
(illustrated catalogue)
1975 [Inuit Art Exhibition]
Man and His World
Montreal, Quebec
1978 [Inuit Art Exhibition]
The Bay
Calgary, Alberta
1979 [Inuit Art Exhibition]
Juliane Gallery of Fine Art
Willowdale, Ontario
April - June 1980 The Abbott Collection of Inuit Art
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(catalogue)
August 1983 Carvings from the Hudson Bay Region
Arctic Artistry
Hartsdale, New York, U.S.A.
December 1983 Artists of Arctic Quebec
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
July 1984 Treasures from Canada's Arctic
Heritage Place
Uxbridge, Ontario
December 1984 Takamit - Canadian Eskimo Art: Selections
from Private Collections and the Government
of Canada
Organized by La Federation des Cooperatives
du Nouveau-Quebec and the Jane Voorhees
Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A.
(illustrated brochure)
January - Feb 1986 Inuit: Eskimo Art of Arctic Canada
Miharudo Gallery
Mejiro, Japan
August 1986 Arctic Quebec Sculpture
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated catalogue)
Nov 1987 - Jan 1988 Inuitkonst fran Kanada - skulptor och grafik
Millesgarden
Lidingo, Sweden
(illustrated catalogue)
1988 - 1990 Stories in Stone: Soapstone Sculptures From
Northern Quebec and Kenya
La Federation des Cooperatives du
Nouveau-Quebec
Montreal, Quebec
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
January - Feb 1989 The Art of the Eskimo
Newman Galleries
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
June 1989 Masters of the Arctic: An Exhibition
of Contemporary Inuit Masterworks
Presented by the Amway Corporation
at the United Nations General Assembly
New York, New York, U.S.A.
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
June - August 1991 Aux frontieres de l'imaginaire inuit
Galerie du Trait-Carre
Charlesbourg, Quebec
(illustrated brochure)
Oct 1992 - Mar 1993 Inuit Ivories from the Collection
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(illustrated brochure)
1993 - 1993 Arts from the Arctic
Anchorage Museum of History and Art
Anchorage, Alaska
(tour)
(illustrated catalogue)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS: 1973 [Thomassiapik Sivuarapik]
Juliane Galleries of Fine Art
Toronto, Ontario
1979 [Thomassiapik Sivuarapik]
The Bay
Calgary, Alberta
1980 [Thomassiapik Sivuarapik]
The Bay
Calgary, Alberta
1981 [Thomassiapik Sivuarapik]
Enook Gallery
Waterloo, Ontario
1982 [Thomassiapik Sivuarapik]
Juliane Galleries of Fine Art
Toronto, Ontario
1983 [Thomassiapik Sivuarapik]
Wilson Art Centre
Rochester, New York, U.S.A.
1984 [Thomassiapik Sivuarapik]
Juliane Galleries of Fine Art
Toronto, Ontario
COLLECTIONS: Amway Environmental Foundation Collection, Ada, Michigan, U.S.A.
Avataq Cultural Institute, Montreal, Quebec
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec
Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, Michigan, U.S.A.
Ministere des affaires culturelles du Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario
Saputik Museum, Povungnituk, Quebec
Toronto-Dominion Bank Collection, Toronto, Ontario
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff, Alberta
Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
HONOURS, ACHIEVEMENTS and EVENTS: 1961 Participated in the Povungnituk experimental graphic workshop. 1967 Chosen by the Povungnituk Cooperative to represent them at Expo '67 in
Montreal.
1978 Attended the Fairview Mall Shopping Centre's annual arts and crafts show
in Don Mills, Ontario, which was sponsored by the Merchant's Association and
Julianne Galleries of Fine Art Ltd.
SELECTED REFERENCES: CEAC [Canadian Eskimo Arts Council]
TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW WITH THOMASSIAPIK SIVUARAPIK AND
NUTARALUK IYAITUK: Interviewed by Marybelle Myers, translation
by AliTulugak on May 1, 1985 in Povungnituk, Artic Quebec.
Ottawa : Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, 1985.
Eisemon, Thomas Owen
STORIES IN STONE = LA PIERRE RACONTE: Soapstone Sculptures from
Northern Quebec and Kenya = Sculptures de steatite du
Nouveau-Quebec et du Kenya. Ottawa: La Federation des
Cooperatives du Nouveau-Quebec and The Canadian Museum of
Civilization, 1988.
Institute of Alaska Native Arts
ARTS FROM THE ARCTIC: An Exhibition of Circumpolar Art by
Indigenous Artists from Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Sapmi
(Lapland), Russia. Presented by Institute of Alaska Native Arts
and Anchorage Museum of History and Art, copyright Institute of
Alaska Native Arts, 1993.
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
ARCTIC QUEBEC SCULPTURE. Vancouver, B.C. : Inuit Gallery of
Vancouver, 1986.
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
ARTISTS OF ARCTIC QUEBEC. Vancouver: Inuit Gallery of
Vancouver, 1983.
Toronto-Dominion Bank
THE ESKIMO ART COLLECTION OF THE TORONTO-DOMINION BANK.
Toronto: The Toronto-Dominion Bank, 1967.
(c) Inuit Art Section, INAC 1995 |
