Background
Kalvak was born at Tahiryuak Lake, on Victoria Island and raised in the Prince Albert Sound area. Her mother was Enataomik. Her father Halukhit encouraged her spiritual gifts and taught her to be an angakok (shaman).
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Helen Kalvak
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Her family also spent some time at Minto Inlet. She lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle for most of her life. There in 1961 she helped a Roman Catholic priest, Review
Henri Tardy, set up the Holman Eskimo Company-operative
lieutenant was at this time that Kalvak began her artwork. In 1965, her artwork was turned into prints and sold throughout the world.
Ten years later, in recognition of her work, Kalvak was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. This was followed in 1978 by her appointment to the Order of Canada.
By 1978, Kalvak had produced an estimated 2,000 drawings.
She was no longer able to use her hands due to Parkinson"s disease. The following year, Canada Post used her work entitled The Dance for the 17¢ postage stamp. With 176 published prints, Kalvak is the Holman artist with the largest body of published work.
At the time of her death in 1984, Kalvak was one of the few remaining Inuit women in Holman decorated with traditional beautifying facial tattoos.
The school in Holman is named after her. She would make drawings when we were at our outpost camp at Walker Bay.
The drawings would show the way people used to dress and live. She did drawings for some of the sealskin tapestries also.
There were about five women who made sealskin clothing and mats.
I remember coming into Holman in the summer by boat to sell some of my mother’s finished drawings and I would get more art supplies to take back for her. Her granddaughter, Julia Manoyok Ekpakohak (born 1968), is also an artist. She was taught by Kalvak.
Membership
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
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Born
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Died
March 7, 1984 (aged 83) -
Nationality
Canada -
Religion
Christianity
Awards
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Member of the Order of Canada Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is the second highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada.The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is the second highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada.