ARNAKTAUYOK Germaine
Born 1946, in Maniitsoq, Greenland.
At some point they moved into Canada and when she was 9 years, she attended a Catholic school in Chesterfield Inlet where she resided for 7 years visiting her family only during the summer months. While there, a nun who was skilled at painting recognized her talent and provided lessons for her. Her first artwork was sold at age 11 years.
She continued her schooling in Churchill Manitoba. In 1967, she took art courses in Winnipeg on weekends and a year later entered the Fine Arts program at the University of Manitoba School of Art. While there she was encouraged in her art by George Swinton a professor in the School and a member of Canadian Eskimo Arts Council. Moving to Ottawa in 1969, she studied commercial art at the Pembroke Campus of Algonquin College. This was not the route she wanted to follow but she gained experience creating illustrations for books at the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. Still in 1969, she moved to Frobisher Bay, later called Iqaluit, to work for the Frobisher Bay Arts & Crafts Centre. She remained there for 5 years. She moved to and lived in Yellowknife from 1971 to 1976 where she worked for the Government of the Northwest Territories.
In 1976, she married, had a daughter, moved to Langley British Columbia, and largely gave up art for about 10 years. In 1989, she separated from her husband, returned to Yellowknife ,and resumed her career. It was at this time she collaborated with Jose Kusugak and Nick Burns to illustrate the legend “Kiviuq Meets Big Bee”. This has been the only time she has been involved in sequential art. Years later she teamed up with storyteller Henry Isluanik to illustrate the book Kiviuq’s Journey (2014). In 1992, she moved back to Iqaluit and for a year studied printmaking with Kyra Fisher at Arctic College. Since then, she has produced etchings and drawings reflecting her personal life. She has also written and/or illustrated many books including My Name Is Arnaktauyok The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok and a colouring book Innuit Spirit.
Content story & Cover front.
Arctic Comics. Renegade Arts Entertainment, 2016: “Kiviuq Meets Big Bee”. Writ., Jose Kusugak: 3-21.
SOURCE:
Article book:
Arctic Comics. Canmore: Ed., Nicholas Burns. Renegade Arts Entertainment. 2016: Germaine Arnaktauyok, 1.
Internet:
“ Germaine Arnaktauyok”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Arnaktauyok, Accessed 15 May 2022.
GALLERY:
Arctic Comics.2016. Front cover. “Big Bee”.
Arctic Comics.2016. Back cover. “Big Bee”.