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Inuk artist Germaine Arnaktauyok launches book in Yellowknife

A book about the life and career of the artist originally from Igloolik, Nunavut, will be officially launched in Yellowknife tonight.

Arnaktauyok's design appeared on 1999 Canadian toonie

Mother and Child, a drawing by Germaine Arnaktauyok. Arnaktauyok will officially launch her biography Tuesday night in Yellowknife. (Submitted)

A book about the life and career of Inuk artist Germaine Arnaktauyok will be launched in Yellowknife tonight.

One of her designs, The Drummer, graced the back of Canada's 1999 toonie to celebrate the creation of Nunavut.

Arnaktauyok was born in a camp near Igloolik in 1946. She was sent to residential school in Chesterfield Inlet and later studied fine art at the University of Manitoba and commercial art at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

Arnaktauyok said people had asked her to do a biography before but she had thought she was too young for a career retrospective.

"When Inhabit Media approached me I decided to go for it or else I'd never do it," she said.

The book, My Name Is Arnaktauyok: The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok, will officially launch at the Visual Effects Gallery in Yellowknife tonight at 5:30 p.m.