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Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada's (CIBC) world markets -- the foreign division of CIBC -- is opening a new branch in the Land Down Under.
Having both a strong affiliation with Canada and a high aboriginal population, the Sydney office wanted a captivating showpiece depicting a true Northern symbol of Inuit culture and tradition.
The Sydney branch contacted Stan Anderson, the manager of the Rankin Inlet branch of the CIBC, to find a suitable carving.
It didn't take Anderson long to decide who was the right carver for the job and Patrick Kabluitok was asked to create the piece.
"I received an e-mail wondering if we could transport a piece of work that was distinctly Northern to display in their new banker's hall," says Anderson.
"We were looking for something similar to his drum dancer displayed at the Rankin Inlet airport, which is a fairly well-known piece of art.
"He did a piece similar to that, only on a smaller scale."
The carving is made entirely of local soapstone, with caribou antler used for the drum.
The piece should arrive in Sydney this coming week.
Kabluitok worked on the carving for a little more than two months, spending time on the project after work and on weekends.
The artist, who has been a hamlet of Rankin Inlet employee for the past 13 years, says words can't describe what he felt when he was given the opportunity to do the piece.
He says his drum dancer at the Rankin airport has been acting as a silent agent for him for many years.
A number of people, some as far away as St. Louis, Missouri, have commissioned a piece from Kabluitok after seeing the airport carving.
"When Stan (Anderson) first contacted me about creating the piece, I thought he wanted it for himself," says Kabluitok.
"Then he mentioned it was for Sydney and, to me, that was just unbelievable.
"That's the only word I can use to describe how I feel about having one of my carvings displayed in Australia.
"It really hit home when I looked for Sydney on a globe and realized it's on the other side of the world."
