Ashevak Adla

ASHEVAK ADLA (ASHIVA, ASHIVAK)

Date of Birth: February 22, 1977 Male/Female: Male

Place of Birth: Cape Dorset

Mother: Kumajuk Adla

Father: David Adla


Ashevak was born at the nursing home in Cape Dorset. The eldest child of Kumajuk and David Adla, he started carving when he was 11 years old with his grandfather’s (Audla Pee) tools. Ashevak used to watch his grandfather making birds so he started by carving something a little easier, like the heads of birds or seals.

Ashevak is a full-time carver since there isn’t much work at Cape Dorset. He would like to continue to carve and is not anxious to find another line of work. He used to work with an axe and hacksaw but now he makes more carvings using power tools. He loves making birds with their wings open wide. He says he learned by watching Nuna Parr and his son, Jutani working on bears. Ashevak remembers when he was a child his other grandfather, Kalai Adla, told him that when he grew up he could be a carver.

Interviewed by Adamie Ashevak
Inuit Art Centre, July 1996

EXHIBITIONS:

May 1988
Die Kunst aus der Arktis
Presented by Inuit Galerie: Mannheim
In Gutersloh
Gutersloh, Germany

February – April 1997
Stone & Bone
The Inuit Master Carvers of the Canadian Arctic
The North West Company
held at Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities
Ketchum, Idaho, U.S.A.

January – February 1999
Nature and Transformation: Inuit Art
Pucker Gallery
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

April 2000 Ashivak Adla:
The Artist’s Hand
Inuit Sculpture Portfolio
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadaz
(illustrated catalogue)

February – March 2001
Young Carvers from Cape Dorset:
JohnnyLee Pudlat and Ashevak Adla
Albers Gallery of Inuit Art
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
    (illustrated catalogue)

Spring 2005
Cape Dorset Sculpture
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
    (illustrated catalogue)

2006
Rhythms in Motion
Galerie d’art Vincent
Ottawa, Ontario
    (illustrated catalogue)

March – April 2006
Supernatural
Inuit Fantastic Sculpture
Marion Scott Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia

April – May, 2008
Arctic Wind – An Expression of Naturalism
Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia

January – February, 2009
Small Treasures
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia

May – June, 2010
Polar Bears
Canadian Arctic Gallery
Basel, Switzerland

October, 2010
Arctic Wind III: An Expression of Survival
Coastal Peoples Gallery
Vancouver, British Columbia
(illustrated brochure)

June – September, 2011
Bear Farandole
Kulik Art Inuit
Quebec City. Quebec