Kwakiutl (statue)
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Kwakiutl (statue) |
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| Artist | Simon Charlie |
| Year | 1972 |
| Type | cedar wood |
| Dimensions | 270 cm (108 in) |
| Location | Chinguacousy Park greenhouse, Brampton |
| 43°43′22.19″N 79°43′16.25″W / 43.7228306°N 79.7211806°WCoordinates: 43°43′22.19″N 79°43′16.25″W / 43.7228306°N 79.7211806°W | |
| Owner | City of Brampton |
Kwakiutl (or variously KwaKiutl) is a totem sculpture by Aboriginal Canadian artist Simon Charlie, which has caused controversy for its nudity over multiple decades of display in Chinguacousy Township, and later Brampton, both near Toronto in Ontario, Canada. Charlie, also known as Hwunumetse', later received the Order of Canada. The 9-foot-tall cedar wood sculpture is best known for its exposed male genitals.
Named after a native Canadian, Chinguacousy Township was rapidly growing due to the Bramalea development, initiated in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A statue was commissioned for a new township hall, with Simon Charlie as artist. Charlie was a sculptor of the Cowichan Tribes of the Coast Salish peoples. The Indians of Canada pavilion at Expo 67 included a totem pole and "welcome figure" carved by Charlie and two Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl) artists. For the 1971 centennial of British Columbia, Charlie and thirteen other carvers were commissioned to carve totems presented to each of the other nine provinces, two territories, and the federal government. Internationally collected and displayed, he had already been awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal.
The figure depicted by the statue is that of a nearly-naked Aboriginal man, and the name of the sculpture refers to a Pacific Northwest coast tribe. He wears a wide-brimmed Kwakwaka'wakw hat, and a cape. The sculpture features outstretched arms and exposed male genitals. The statue is made of cedar wood, and 9-foot tall.
The Township of Chinguacousy unveiled the sculpture on July 19, 1972, in front of roughly 100 spectators. It was originally intended to be placed at the doors of the Chinguacousy Township municipal offices.
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