Leah Nuvalinga Qumaluk

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Leah Nuvalinga Qumaluk (Sala) (April 17, 1934 – 2010) was a Canadian Inuk artist known for stoneblock printing. She was born in Inukjuak, Quebec, and in 1954 she and her husband Josie Qumaluk moved to Puvirnituq. She started as a carver and began stoneblock printing in 1960. She created at least 95 prints, most printed by herself, and many were stonecuts. She also printed hundreds of editions for other artists, working in a print shop to support the work. Early prints featured mythological creatures or demons from her imagination; later she turned to quieter subjects like animals and scenes of traditional life. By the late 1970s her output slowed, and she retired in 1985. Her style was distinctive because she did not use the border of the uncut block to frame her images. Her work is in major collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She died in 2010 at about 75 or 76.