Abraham Kingmiaqtuq

Biography

Talurjuaq (Taloyoak), NU-based sculptor Abraham Kingmiaqtuq is known for his expressive works in the community’s signature dark stone as well as whalebone and ivory. Works such as Spirit of Lightning (1987) capture some of the artist's enduring fascination with depicting spirits as well as scenes of transformation while demonstrating his skill with fine detail. 

Career highlights include Kingmiaqtuq’s inclusion in a Canadian postage stamp series released in 1978 and focused on travel. The artist’s ivory sculpture Dogsled and Dog Team (c. 1978) joined works by Pudlo Pudlat, Pitseolak Ashoona and Joe Talirunili as part of the series. Kingmiaqtuq was also featured in The Amway Environmental Foundation’s 1991 project Masters Of The Arctic - Art In The Service Of The Earth which recognized the contributions of over 100 circumpolar Indigenous artists. His work can be found in the collections of the Winnipeg Art Gallery and National Gallery of Canada.



This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé en partie par le gouvernement du Canada.
Basé à Talurjuaq (Taloyoak), au Nunavut, le sculpteur Abraham Kingmiaqtuq est connu pour ses œuvres expressives sculptées sur la pierre noire emblématique de la communauté, de même que sur l’os de baleine et l’ivoire. Des pièces comme Spirit of Lightning (1987) montrent en partie la fascination durable de l’artiste pour la représentation d’esprits et les scènes de métamorphose, tout en révélant son grand sens du détail. Les faits marquants de la carrière d’Abraham Kingmiaqtuq comprennent son inclusion dans une série de timbres-poste canadiens sur les voyages, publiée en 1978. Sa sculpture sur ivoire, Dogsled and Dog Team (v. 1978), accompagne les œuvres de Pudlo Pudlat, de Pitseolak Ashoona et de Joe Talirunili dans cette série. Il a été mis en vedette également en 1991 lors du projet Les Maîtres de l’Arctique – l’art au service de l’environnement de la Fondation Amway pour l’environnement, qui reconnaissait les contributions de plus de 100 artistes autochtones circumpolaires. Ses œuvres font partie des collections du Musée des beaux-arts de Winnipeg et du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada.
ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ−ᑐᙵᕝᕕᒃ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎ ᐃᑉᕋᕼᐋᒻ ᑭᖕᒥᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑐᑭᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᒥ ᕿᕐᓂᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐅᑉ ᓴᐅᓂᐊᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑑᒑᕐᓂᑦ. ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᐃᑦ ᑲᓪᓘᑉ ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖓ (1987) ᑕᑯᔅᓴᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᐅᑉ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᖓ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅ ᐊᓂᕐᓃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᙳᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒋᑦ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᓄᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᑭᖕᒥᐊᖅᑐᑉ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓂᖓ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑎᑎᖅᑲᓕᕆᕝᕕᐅᑉ ᐸᐃᑉᐹᕋᓛᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᐃᔾᔪᑎᔅᓴᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ 1978−ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑐᕌᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᐅᑉ ᑑᒑᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᖏᑦ ᕿᒧᒃᓯᐅᑎ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᒧᒃᓰᑦ (ᐃᒻᒻᒪᖄ 1978) ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᓄᑦ ᐳᑦᓗ ᐳᑦᓛᑦ, ᐱᑦᓯᐅᓛ ᐊᓲᓇ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔫ ᑕᓕᕈᓂᓕᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᕕᒃᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ. ᑭᒻᒥᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᑯᔅᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐋᒻᕖ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦ 1991 ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᖏᓐᓂ ᐱᔨᒻᒪᕇᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ – ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᐃᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᐅᑎᑦ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑐᓂᕐᕈᓯᐊᒃᑯᑦ 100 ᐅᖓᑖᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ. ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᖏᑦ ᓇᓂᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᑎᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᕕᓂᐲᒃ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᐃᑦ ᑕᑯᒐᓐᓈᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑕᑯᒐᓐᓈᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ.

Artist Work

About Abraham Kingmiaqtuq

Medium:

Jewellery, Sculpture

Artistic Community:

Talurjuaq (Taloyoak), NU

Date of Birth:

Artists may have multiple birth years listed as a result of when and where they were born. For example, an artist born in the early twentieth century in a camp outside of a community centre may not know/have known their exact date of birth and identified different years.

1933

Date of Death:

Artists may have multiple dates of death listed as a result of when and where they passed away. Similar to date of birth, an artist may have passed away outside of a community centre or in another community resulting in different dates being recorded.

1990