Mary Avalak

Mary Avalak (b. 1964) is an Inuit visual artist and sculptor born in Cambridge Bay (Ikaluktutiak), Nunavut. Raised in the Kitikmeot region of the High Arctic, she developed her artistic practice within her home community, drawing creative inspiration from traditional cultural practices, land-based living, and local oral histories.

Working primarily with regional soapstone (steatite), serpentine, and natural materials such as caribou bone, horn, and sinew, Avalak’s studio practice focuses on three-dimensional stone sculpture. Her carvings feature figurative representations of Arctic wildlife, including muskoxen, seals, and polar bears, as well as scenes depicting maternal relationships, intergenerational knowledge transmission, and traditional family life in Nunavut. Her visual style is characterized by rounded contours, polished stone surfaces, and expressive figurative detail.

Avalak’s artistic output contributes to the ongoing tradition of contemporary Kitikmeot sculpture. Her work is held in permanent public and institutional collections, including the collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery–Tsaumajuq.