Ummaluk Saviakjuk

Ummaluk Saviakjuk (1933-1986) was an Inuit sculptor and graphic artist from Salluit (Sugluk), Nunavik, Quebec. Born into a traditional lifestyle on the land, Saviakjuk was part of the generation of artists who transitioned into settled community life and the subsequent development of the Inuit art movement in the mid-twentieth century. Identified by the disc number E9-1095, her career was primarily defined by her work in stone sculpture, although she was also involved in the production of graphic works.

Saviakjuk’s sculptural practice focused on the representation of Arctic wildlife and traditional Inuit themes. Her work gained recognition within the broader Canadian art infrastructure during the 1960s. Notably, her sculpture was featured in the landmark exhibition Mother and Child, organized by the Winnipeg Art Gallery in 1967. This exhibition was a significant early institutional effort to document and display Inuit carvings within a thematic fine art context.

Throughout the 1980s, Saviakjuk’s work was included in several major public and international group exhibitions. Her art was represented in the 1983 exhibition An Enduring Tradition II: Inuit Carving from the Northwest Territories and the 1987 national touring exhibition The Spirit Sings: Artistic Traditions of Canada’s First Peoples, organized by the Glenbow Museum. Her carvings are held in the permanent collections of public institutions, including the Canada Council Art Bank in Ottawa and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.