Victoria Mamnguqsualuk
Victoria Mamnguqsualuk was one of the best-known Canadian Inuit artists of her generation. She is best known for her textile tapestries and silkscreen and stencil prints, but she has also worked in sculpture and created an impressive body of original drawings and paintings. Mamnguqsualuk’s bold depictions of Inuit myth have been widely praised.
Victoria Mamnguqsualuk spent her childhood in the Back River area of the Northwest Territories and moved to Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, in 1963. She is one of the best-known Inuit artists of her generation.  Mamnguqsualuk practiced her art in many forms including drawing, printing, textiles and sculpture. She was one of artist Jessie Oonark’s (1906–1985) children, many of whom became well-known artists, including Janet Kigusiuq and William Noah.
As a child Mamnguqsualuk learned to sew by watching her grandmother make caribou clothing, and by sewing slippers and the sleeves of parkas. Once Mamnguqsualuk settled in Qamani’tuaq, NU, she became involved with the artist co-op where she learned to sew wall hangings as well as carve and draw. Mamnguqsualuk is best known for her wall hangings but was dedicated to expanding her artistic practice, actively learning new styles or techniques in graphic arts and textiles. Eight of her prints were a part of the first Baker Lake Print Collection in 1970 and her pieces have appeared in many collections since then.
Mamnguqsualuk’s works have appeared in nearly 100 exhibitions in Canada, the US and internationally. Her art can be found in permanent collections in Canada and the US in institutions such as the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Canadian Museum of History in Quebec, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, ON, the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, AB, and many more.
(Information provided by Inuit Art Foundation)
