Nick Sikkuark
Encyclopedia
Nick Sikkuark is an Inuit
artist from Kugaaruk, Nunavut
.
His works are mainly in whale bone, caribou antler, and walrus ivory, and are characterized by "droll, macabre wit"
, Nunavut (then part of the Keewatin
), Sikkuark was orphaned at a young age. He was then taken in by the Oblate Fathers
. As a young man he studied for the clergy in Winnipeg
and Ottawa
before settling in Kugaaruk, Nunavut
, then called Pelly Bay. It was there that he began to work as an artist full-time.
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
artist from Kugaaruk, Nunavut
Kugaaruk, Nunavut
-Culture:The historical inhabitants were Arviligjuarmiut. Kugaaruk is a traditional "Central Inuit" community. Until 1968, the people followed a nomadic lifestyle. The population is approximately 97% Inuit and most people self-identify as Netsilik Inuit. The residents blend a land based lifestyle...
.
His works are mainly in whale bone, caribou antler, and walrus ivory, and are characterized by "droll, macabre wit"
Biography
Born in Garry LakeGarry Lake
Garry Lake is a lake in sub-Arctic Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. As a portion of the Back River waterway, Garry Lake originates directly east of Lake Pelly and drains to the east by the Back River. A set of rapids separate Buliard Lake from Garry Lake...
, Nunavut (then part of the Keewatin
District of Keewatin
The District of Keewatin was a territory of Canada and later an administrative district of the Northwest Territories.The name "Keewatin" comes from Algonquian roots—either kīwēhtin in Cree or giiwedin in Ojibwe—both of which mean north wind in their respective languages...
), Sikkuark was orphaned at a young age. He was then taken in by the Oblate Fathers
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
. As a young man he studied for the clergy in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
and Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
before settling in Kugaaruk, Nunavut
Kugaaruk, Nunavut
-Culture:The historical inhabitants were Arviligjuarmiut. Kugaaruk is a traditional "Central Inuit" community. Until 1968, the people followed a nomadic lifestyle. The population is approximately 97% Inuit and most people self-identify as Netsilik Inuit. The residents blend a land based lifestyle...
, then called Pelly Bay. It was there that he began to work as an artist full-time.