Jack Nuviyak
Like his close friend John Kurok, Jack Nuviyak has been associated with the Matchbox since he first took classes at the gallery in Junior high school. As is the case with many of the younger artists associated with the Matchbox, Jack draws as much of his imagery from the contemporary realities of northern life as he does from his strong commitment and love of Inuit traditions and values.
Jack is one of a new group of artists coming out of the Matchbos who have made a strong commitment to printmaking as a medium of expression. His work never goes far astray from Inuit principles and values that preoccupy the minds and thinking of younger artists as they come to terms with the onslaught of modern media, and digital culture. Jack's work tells the story from the presepective of a younger northern person who sees a new creative horizon in the contrasts between the modern and the traditional.
Jack has often been selected to represent the Kivalliq at major national and international events. Jack has also begun to teach printmaking in Matchbox Gallery programs, as well as teaching art skills to younger Inuit in the schools. He brings a challenging and distinctive new direction to Inuit ceramics which might represent the wave of the future for this art form.
Jack was one of the two artists selected from the Kivalliq region to present his works at the Arctic Winter Games of 2007, and hs been an invited participant in several art expositions throughout the north and southern Canada. His works are included in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
Video Interview
Jack Nuviyak in October, 2010 at The Matchbox Gallery, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut