With the help of the Native Friendship Centre, a young Montrealer from Nunavik is starting to make a name for himself as a local artist.
Simiuni Nauya moved from to Montreal 20 years ago when he was 10. He took up soapstone carving three years ago.
“I just learn quick. Whatever I see, like someone makes something, I watch them how they do it and I try to bring in my little style,” he said.
Simiuni describes his style as capturing a moment in time - showing an animal's movement frozen in the stone.
He examines the different angles of the stone looking for a way to free the animal that he says he can see trapped inside.
A large piece can take a week or more while a smaller piece takes a few hours.
He's starting to see a growing demand for his art – galleries such as Image Boreal and Chariot in Old Montreal sell his creations. Inukshuks are big sellers but he also carves dancing seals and dancing polar bears.
“When I finish a piece they tell me yeah, it looks like it's actually moving,” he said.
At the Native Friendship Centre where Simiuni does most of his work, the staff has seen him grow.
Youth coordinator Ashanti Rosado says Simiuni has rapidly moved from student to teacher.
“I will say he has like a mentoring role, so his place here is to help us encourage the younger ones,” she said.
Sales are picking up but they're still not at a level for Simiuni to become a full-time artist, but he said he thinks his future is getting bright – and it seems to be set in stone.
