This Inuk carver transforms antlers into makeup brushes — each with their own story

A dusting of ground bone flies through the air in Saelym DeGrandpré's home studio in Ottawa. Her mask and safety glasses protect her from the hazard, but not the smell. She said she'll never forget it — the scent of burning antler.

And she loves it. 

It's all part of the process for the 23-year-old carver and online graphic design student at Toronto Film School. She's been specializing in makeup brushes with handles made of antler. They're a nod to two passions: makeup and her Inuit heritage.

Now, work is starting to gain traction online — something she said shows others have interest in carving, too.

DeGrandpré has been carving on and off since she was 13-years-old, but Inuit artistry has been a tradition in her family for generations. Her grandmother was a textile artist who made parkas and did embroidery.

"She wasn't a carver, but I always like enjoyed the idea of carvings and seeing the carvings throughout the house,' DeGrandpré said.

As a child, her family encouraged her to carve small rocks, which she credits for her appreciation for the work now. She recalled a story she was told about carving that she still thinks about.

"A shaman would say that they would carve the rock, they would bring the spirit out from the rock," she said.

While she's switched mediums, her motivation is the same. Her brush handles hold stories — of the lives the animals had, the hunters who caught them in Baker Lake, Nunavut, or through the traditional tattoos she's beginning to experiment with etching into them.

DeGrandpré's process involves cleaning the antlers, cutting them with a saw, and then sanding them down to remove imperfections and to bring out the antler's colouring. She then matches them with mass-made bristles, though she wants to experiment with making her own from furs hunted in the North.

Gaining traction

Earlier this year, DeGrandpré mustered the courage to put a few photos of her work on Instagram.

She said the posts received thousands of likes. Photos of her work were shared in online Inuit communities across the country.

"It's so amazing to see like how many people are interested in the idea of that, their makeup brushes and how that connects like carving," she said.

A new age

DeGrandpré does her carving in a suburban Ottawa garage. Her father-in-law, Kelly Adams, lets her use the space. She's been gifted tools from various family members who want to see her work continue.

"It's something that I'm very proud to see," Adams said. "It's keeping a lot of this alive."

Carving has been part of Inuit culture since well before settler contact. Traditionally, Inuit carved antlers into tools like ulu used to cut meat, or toys for young children.

Adams attributed the online buzz around DeGrandpré's work to its uniqueness. The brushes aren't something he said he's seen before.

"Bringing it into the new age. It's something different," Adams said.

DeGrandpré said the brushes are one way she can show pride in her identity — something she said she's always been an advocate for. She hopes she can continue to learn the craft and culture from other artists and elders in the future.

"Storytelling and like intergenerational learning is very important to me," she said. "Hearing [elders] speak about stories that have been passed down for like millennia feels amazing."