Ikkidluak, Iola Abraham

A fierce advocate for Inuit artists and traditional practices, Iola Abraham Ikkidluak expressed his deeply held values through his work. Hailing from the community of Kimmirut, NU, Ikkidluak spent the majority of his time carving and being out on the land. As a sculptor, he portrayed a wide range of subject matter from smaller, delicate birds to larger pieces of shamanic spirit transformations. Ikkidluak's sculptures are often recognized for their dynamic movement and animated expressions, carved into the locally sourced serpentinite. His work Man Who Turned Into a Walrus (1997) is an example of this movement and energy, with a man caught mid-dance as his head poking out from the hood of his parka transforms into that of a walrus. Ikkidluak’s sculptures have been included in many exhibitions, most notably touring throughout North America from 1979-1981 in the Smithsonian Institution show, By the Light of the Qulliq. Other works by Ikkidluak have found homes in permanent collections such as the Canada Council Art Bank and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.