Introducing The Matchbox Gallery Artists Collective
An important and distinguishing feature of the work that comes out of the Matchbox Gallery is the close ongoing relationship all of the artists maintain with one another. People usually work in a group setting. Most of our veterans have been associated with the gallery since it began in the late eighties, early nineties. Many of them first came into contact with the gallery when they were adolescents. Some learned their craft while being supervised by their parents, who were also working at the gallery. The collective spirit of the gallery encourages artists to learn from each other, to support their creative development. Most of them are experienced professionals who work in several media in addition to ceramics. We also have a steady flow of elder artiasts who visit us and present workshops. As a result of this kind of collaboration, the gallery has managed to produce it’s superb collection of works (see permanent collection).
These artists include the following individuals; Pierre Aupilardjuk, Roger Aksadjuak, John Kurok, Yvo Samgushak, Leo Napayok, Jack Nuviyak, Lucy Sanertanut, Philip Ujuk, Jim Shirley, and Sue Shirley. We have included their biographical data, as well as videos of them at work, while discussing their backgrounds and overall approaches.