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MASTERING THE CRAFT ULUKHAKTOK ARTISTS SHARE THEIR PASSIONS WORDS AND PHOTOS BY TOPSY BANKSLAND
W
ith pieces ranging from prints, carvings and sewing, Ulukhaktok is home to many talented artists.
Known for her prints, Elsie Klengenberg was first introduced to drawing, then printmaking, by Father Henri Tardy, who lived in Holman (now called Ulukhaktok) from the 1940s to 1980s. Her art is influenced by the stories her parents told. Her prints portray culture of the land, animals and people. Printmaking is a process. She starts out by drawing first, thinking about the placement of people and animals, and how to draw out the figures. Once that is all set, she moves onto cutting the stencils. As an artist herself, it can be difficult at times to create a print, but as long as “you keep trying, trying, it’s going to be easier,” she advises anyone who is starting out. Though he’s made more than 1,300 ulus and a hundred knives already, Adam Kudlak is still busy creating carvings, jewellery and tools.
