Kinngait sculptor unveils towering inuksuk in China

A 2.7-metre stone inuksuk made by Kinngait sculptor Koomuatuk Curley was unveiled in China on Canada Day.

Made from seven pieces of locally sourced granite and nine feet tall, this Inuksuk by Inuit sculptor Koomuatuk Curley was unveiled at Mission Hills Ecological Sports Park in Shenzhen, China, on July 1. (Photo courtesy of Koomuatuk Curley)

The event marked the first time such a piece has been permanently installed in the country’s mainland, said Canadian Consul General Behzad Babakhani in a speech that day.

Babakhani was one of several diplomats to host the unveiling ceremony at the Ecological Sports Park at Mission Hills Resort in Shenzhen, a city in southeastern China with a population of 17.5 million people.

It marked the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and China.

“It means a lot,” said Curley, who is originally from Kinngait but now works in Ottawa.

“As an artist from Nunavut, I think about my grandparents [Qaqaq Ashoona and Mayoreak Ashoona] as they introduced me to being an artist. My grandparents built inuksuks a long time ago, so I feel like I’m doing what they did but very far from home.”

Curley’s inuksuk is made from granite sourced from China and was created on-site at the Mission Hills resort in Shenzhen.

Curley said he worked closely with a local team from the resort to complete the piece, which consists of six carved segments and a base.

“This was an incredible experience,” he said. “Our culture is going places. The inuksuk is such a strong symbol of our people. It’s amazing to see it out there in China.”

Curley’s work has been featured as part of several cultural diplomacy projects.

He has worked with the Canadian government to install inuksuit in New Delhi, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and in Taiwan.

The inuksuk he made in India in 2014 was 2.5 metres tall and 1.5 metres wide, and made up of eight stones from Kingston, Ont. Its arms point toward Canada.

Curley’s work, which ranges from miniature carvings made of alabaster and serpentine to towering sculptures, are all made in honour of his family, he said.

Of particular note is a granite statue he helped carve in 2020 of his great-grandmother, Inuk artist Pitseolak Ashoona, in Kinngait with the support of a $50,000 grant from the Government of Nunavut.

Curley, who has been living in Ottawa since 2017, said he is grateful to have been able to travel to different countries to showcase his work and cultural pride.

“I feel lucky to have gone there. There are so many Inuit artists who can do this. I also have a bit more access because I live in the south now,” he said.

“I’m very happy to represent Inuit across Canada and around the world.”