Ikkidluak, Iola Abraham

Iola Abraham Ikkidluak (1936-2003) grew up on the land but moved into Kimmirut in the 1950s. He soon spent most of his time carving. His 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 are in several museum collections and ten of his pieces are in the collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. He portrayed a wide range of subject matter from small birds to larger pieces of shamanic animal/human transformation. His sculptures are characterized by dynamic movement carved into the locally-sourced serpentinite. His work Man Who Turned Into a Walrus (1997) is an example of this movement and energy.