Mathew Ashevak

Mathew Ashevak is a carver from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU, who works primarily with stone and bone. Ashevak comes from a highly artistic family; He is the son of carver Adamie Ashevak and the grandson of celebrated artists Kenojuak Ashevak, Pauta Saila, and Pitaloosie Saila.

Ashevak began carving in 1988, at the young age of five [1]. Known for his openwork carving technique and attention to detail, the bulk of his work focuses on shamans and transformation, although, like his father, he frequently carves dancing figures.

Composition (2001) shows both Ashevak’s spiritual approach to subject, and his use of fine detail. The fur on the man’s hood is marked by the same texture as the walrus’s moustache and the bird’s feathered body, revealing the unity between all three.  This unity is underscored by the form of the statue, composed of a single piece of stone rather than composite parts. His carvings have been exhibited in Toronto, Quebec City, and Vancouver.

Beyond his artistic practice, Ashevak is involved in many sports; he competed in badminton at the 2003 Canada Winter Games [2], and served as goalie during the Kinngait Bruin’s 2018 hockey season [3]. He also took part in Project Naming in 2004 [4], bringing archival photographs back to Kinngait to be identified by Elders.