Bobby Nokolak Anaviluk

Kugluktuk

Bobby Nokolak Anaviluk comes from the small Arctic hamlet of Kugluktuk. This region is renowned for the stone which is mined and carved there, Dolomite. The Dolomite’s geological composition and milky white looks stand out from Serpentine stone in any Inuit art collection.

Like many who live in the North, he was raised in the strenuous nomadic lifestyle of the Inuit peoples. He would move from camp to camp by dogsled with his parents. Along the way he was exposed to the endless natural beauty of the Arctic and its wildlife. This would prove to be the inspiration for his craft for years to come.

Both of his parents were artists and encouraged his natural creative abilities. Even before he had a pencil and paper, he would etch drawings into stones. His father soon taught him how to carve, imparting on Bobby that every stone has a spirit and, as an artist, it is his job to bring that spirit out through his carving.

He soon came to master the medium and his work displays an amazing realism typically unseen elsewhere in the Arctic. His fastidious proportions and exquisite beauty have endeared Anavilok’s depictions of Northern wildlife to, and are celebrated amongst, avant-garde circles of Inuit art.

Bobby is a relentless worker in all aspects of his life. He acts as an Ambassador to Nunavut as well as a leader in his community and a voice for his people. Anavilok is even known for quarrying his own Dolomite before carving. He is a perfectionist whose work reflects the dedication and passion of the man behind it.