It was during a celebration at the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) on Saturday that the prestigious Sobey Art Award was presented to Kablusiak, a native of Yellowknife.

The multidisciplinary Inuvialuk artist and curator receives a cash prize of $100,000, while the shortlist finalists – Séamus Gallagher, Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill, Anahita Norouzi and Michèle Pearson Clark – each receive $25,000.

According to Jonathan Shaughnessy, director of curatorial initiatives at the NGC and chair of the 2023 Sobey Art Prize jury, Kablusiak’s work “shapes Inuit and queer realities both in the art world and in society at large . Their attention to materiality and embodiment as well as the critical use of humor contribute to the construction and affirmation of the world.

The jury was made up of Canadian and international curators. The choices for the long list, the short list and the winning person were made based on the careers of the artists.