Name/Title
072-2747Entry/Object ID
2021.11.01Description
Qavavau Manumie is a third-generation graphic artist and printmaker. He was born in Brandon, Manitoba in 1958 while his mother was being treated for tuberculosis. After his family moved back north to Kinngait (Cape Dorset, Nunavut), Manumie had many opportunities to watch his parents and grandfather in their processes of carving and drawing. His mother, Paunichea (1920-1968), was a printmaker herself and daughter of graphic artist, master storyteller, hunter and carver Kiakshuk (1886-1966). From a young age, he demonstrated a talent for drawing, able to work in a variety of styles from naturalism to the more abstract and expressionistic.
Manumie's artworks are detailed, colourful, and often humorous. His subject matter draws from reality but is influenced by the artist's rich imagination. It ranges from elaborate visual retellings of Inuit mythology to depictions of contemporary Inuit life and the realities of climate change on the landscape and wildlife. For example, Manumie has portrayed Inuit riding on giant moose or had birds playing with Pepsi logos like seeds. At other times, he has created still lives of animals with great attention. The diversity of his practices reflects the artist’s skill in documenting the world around him and conveying his perspective with his art.
Currently, Qavavau lives with his wife and son in Kinngait where he spends time at Kinngait Studios as a printmaker demonstrating his process and teaching a younger generation of artists. His works can be found in collections around Canada including the National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Museum of History, and The McMichael Collection of Canadian Art.Artwork Details
Medium
graphite, coloured pencil and felt pen on paper