My Daily Art

John Kurok, Rankin Inlet

But there is a lot more to this contemporary artistic production – jewelry and tools, photography, video and film work, installations, new media, and the amazing ceramic work from Rankin Inlet, an Inuit hamlet on the Kudlulik Peninsula in Nunavut. These ceramics are really a phenomenon unique within the Canadian Arctic.

When the Rankin Inlet nickel mine closed in 1962, the Government of the Northwest Territories established an arts and crafts centre in the community in an effort to replace some of the income the mine had generated. Several local stone carvers, including Laurent and Roger Aksadjuak, Yvo Samgushak, Lucy Sanertanut, and John Kurok (pictured here) took on the medium of clay.

A number of exhibitions of Rankin ceramics have been organized by the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the collection continues to grow. For me and many other visitors, a trip to Rankin Inlet is not complete without a stop at the Matchbox Gallery to spend some time with the artists and their works, especially on a cold February afternoon with a cup of tea.

While the WAG is temporarily closed, your collection is still here for you. Stay connected with the art through daily posts from our Director & CEO, Dr. Stephen Borys.

This is a series of daily posts that will continue until the Gallery reopens. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or visit our stories section.

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