Heather Kayotak

Heather Kayotak is a carver from Iglulik (Igloolik), NU. Born in 1984, she is the daughter of Marius and Yvonne Kayotak. Both of her parents are accomplished artists and their works, particularly those of her mother had an immense influence on her artistic practice. Her siblings Ross and Clara Kayotak are also artists.

Kayotak took courses at Nunavut Arctic College, where she learned jewellery-making skills and experimented with semi-precious metals. Her piece Attata, Annana and Pannik, a work that combines ivory and copper, was shown in the exhibition “60 Years of MAGC and the Year of Craft” at the Saskatchewan Craft Council in 2007.

Kayotak has made sculptures from stone, but prefers antler and ivory because they produce less dust and are softer to carve than the local stone in Iglulik. She has become known for her antler carvings of Inuit woman fishing, picking berries, and stretching skins. She carves each figure with unique clothing details. “I see lots of women with amautiit in different styles,” Kayotak says, “and I really like their styles and try to capture them in my carvings” [1].