Myra Kukiiyaut

Myra Kukiiyaut was a talented sculptor, textile, and graphic artist, though she is most widely known for her drawings. Kukiiyaut was born in Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU in 1929. Although her father worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Kukiiyaut grew up in a traditional nomadic lifestyle. In 1957, after her husband, Luke Arngna’aaq, was evacuated from their camp to receive treatment for his tuberculosis, Kukiiyaut settled with her young daughter and son in Qamani’tuaq. Without income from her husband, who was a sculptor, Kukiiyaut was reliant on government relief and worked sewing traditional clothing to supplement her income.
During this time, Kukiiyaut experimented with carving, wall hangings, and weaving, and eventually developed her skill as a graphic artist, drawing and making prints, with the establishment of the arts co-operative in Qamani’tuaq in the 1960s. In 1974, Kukiityaut attended the Arctic Women’s Workshop organized by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada in Toronto where she had the opportunity to share her artistic knowledge and learn about the different techniques and materials used across varying communities. This knowledge likely influenced her daughter, Ruby Arngna’aaq, a printmaker.
Having gained acclaim as a Qamani'tuaq artist, Kukiityaut’s works have been featured in numerous exhibitions across Canada and internationally.