Victor Ekootak

Victor Ekootak was a graphic artist and prominent printmaker from Ulukhaktok (Holman), NWT. Born in the Prince Albert Sound area in 1916, little is known about his early life. In the early 1960s, Ekootak and his wife Nerenoak, an artist known for her sealskin tapestries, lived in the area around Ulukhaktok. He became a founding member of the Holman Eskimo Co-operative (later the Ulukhaktok Arts Centre) in 1961, working alongside Father Henri Tardy, travelling to Ulukhaktok from Read Island, where he and his family lived at the time. In 1962, the family settled in the community when the Read Island Hudson’s Bay Company post was relocated to Ulukhaktok.
Ekootak was one of the first artists in Ulukhaktok to make drawings and prints. Known particularly for his drawings, he created a series of drawings on linoleum depicting the events of the crucifixion of Christ which still hangs in the chapel/museum in Ulukhaktok. Towards the end of his life, Ekootak used his skills as a sculptor to experiment with making stonecuts. He was part of the group of Ulukhaktok artists, including Helen Kalvak, Jimmy Memorana, Harry Egotak, and William Kagyut, who developed the first annual Holman Print Collection in 1965.
Several of Ekootak’s prints were included in the print collections after his death, and his community involvement had undoubtedly influenced those around him. His daughter, Elsie Klengenberg, is now a prominent stencil artist in Ulukhaktok and her husband, Patrick Akovak Klengenberg was a sculptor, artist and printmaker as well. Particularly moved by Ekootak’s death was Father Tardy, who wrote: “With Ekootak’s death, we lost the leader of our Art craftsmen.”
Ekootak’s works have been exhibited across Canada and the United States. His works have not yet been shown at the ULAG.