Koomuatuk Curley

Koomuatuk Curley

Biography

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.

Artist Work

About Koomuatuk Curley

Medium:

Film, Sculpture

Artistic Community:

Kinngait, Nunavut, Inuit Nunangat

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.

Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU
1984
The Igloo Tag Trademark
The Igloo Tag Trademark is an internationally recognized symbol that denotes handmade, original artwork made by Inuit artists in Canada. Established in 1958, the Trademark is now managed by the Inuit Art Foundation. The appearance of the Igloo Tag on an artist profile means they have had the Trademark applied to their artwork.