Kavik, John

John Kavik (1897-1993) was a sculptor and ceramicist originally from Gjoa Haven, NU. He began carving after moving to Rankin Inlet to work in the North Rankin Inlet Nickle Mine in the late 1950s. When the mine closed in 1962, a craft shop was established by the territorial government the following year. Many out-of-work mine-workers began creating and selling carvings as a new way to support their families. When a ceramicist from Quebec, Claude Grenier, became the first Crafts Officer, he brought in materials and a kiln to encourage carvers to make ceramics.

Kavik’s carvings focused on the human figure as a central motif. He generally carved solitary, expressive figures and used grooves to denote mouths and clothing details. He frequently used small drill holes to create eyes and nostrils or the outlines of hands. His hand-built ceramics featured motifs of people and animals emerging from the sides of the vessel. His works have been featured in numerous group and solo shows in Canada, the United States and Japan. His art work is housed in major collections such as the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, the Vancouver Art Gallery in British Columbia, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Manitoba. The WAG has a strong collection of 60 stone sculptures and 6 ceramics by Kavik.