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<\/a><\/p>\nCanadian Consul General Behzad Babakhani, left, Inuk sculptor Koomuatuk Curley and Tenniel Chu, vice\u2011chairman of Mission Hills Group, right, stand in front of a newly unveiled inuksuk in Shenzhen, China, on July 1. The sculpture, created by Curley, marks the first permanent installation of an inuksuk in China. (Photo courtesy of Koomuatuk Curley)<\/p>\n
A 2.7-metre stone inuksuk made by Kinngait sculptor Koomuatuk Curley was unveiled in China on Canada Day.<\/p>\n
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Made from seven pieces of locally sourced granite and nine feet tall, this Inuksuk by Inuit sculptor Koomuatuk Curley was unveiled at Mission Hills Ecological Sports Park in Shenzhen, China, on July 1. (Photo courtesy of Koomuatuk Curley)<\/p>\n
The event marked the first time such a piece has been permanently installed in the country\u2019s mainland, said Canadian Consul General Behzad Babakhani in a speech that day.<\/p>\n
Babakhani was one of several diplomats to host the unveiling ceremony at the Ecological Sports Park at Mission Hills Resort in Shenzhen, a city in southeastern China with a population of 17.5 million people.<\/p>\n
It marked the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and China.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means a lot,\u201d said Curley, who is originally from Kinngait but now works in Ottawa.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an artist from Nunavut, I think about my grandparents [Qaqaq Ashoona and Mayoreak Ashoona] as they introduced me to being an artist. My grandparents built inuksuks a long time ago, so I feel like I\u2019m doing what they did but very far from home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Curley\u2019s inuksuk is made from granite sourced from China and was created on-site at the Mission Hills resort in Shenzhen.<\/p>\n Curley said he worked closely with a local team from the resort to complete the piece, which consists of six carved segments and a base.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was an incredible experience,\u201d he said. \u201cOur culture is going places. The inuksuk is such a strong symbol of our people. It\u2019s amazing to see it out there in China.\u201d<\/p>\n Curley\u2019s work has been featured as part of several cultural diplomacy projects.<\/p>\n He has worked with the Canadian government to install inuksuit in New Delhi, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and in Taiwan.<\/p>\n The inuksuk he made in India in 2014 was 2.5 metres tall and 1.5 metres wide, and made up of eight stones from Kingston, Ont. Its arms point toward Canada.<\/p>\n Curley\u2019s work, which ranges from miniature carvings made of alabaster and serpentine to towering sculptures, are all made in honour of his family, he said.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n