GERMAINE ARNAKTAUYOK

Germaine Arnaktauyok, born in 1946 in Maniitsoq, Greenland, is a distinguished Inuk artist and writer renowned for her evocative lithographs, etchings, and serigraphs that delve into Inuit myths and traditional narratives. She spent her early years in Igloolik, Nunavut, where her parents, Therese Nattok and Isidore Iytok, both skilled carvers, fostered her artistic inclinations.
At nine, Arnaktauyok was sent to Chesterfield Inlet for schooling, marking the beginning of her formal art education under the guidance of a nun who recognized her talent. She furthered her studies at the University of Manitoba and Algonquin
College in Ottawa, where she worked as an illustrator for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. Throughout her career, Arnaktauyok has held various positions, including working for the Frobisher Bay Arts and Crafts Centre and the Government of the Northwest
Territories' Department of Education. Her art, which often features expressive line work and personal stories rooted in ancestral tales, is housed in esteemed institutions such as the National Gallery of Canada and the British Museum.
In 1999, she designed the reverse of Canada's two-dollar coin to commemorate the creation of Nunavut. She also received the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2021.

Her contributions to literature include illustrating "My Name is Arnaktauyok: The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok" and other works that explore Inuit culture and storytelling. Residing in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Arnaktauyok continues to create art that bridges traditional Inuit narratives with contemporary themes, solidifying her
status as a pivotal figure in Canadian art.