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Kenojuak Ashevak
Creating The Enchanted Owl and helping establish modern Inuit graphic art.
The Enchanted Owl · Siilavut, Nunavut
- Born
- 3 October 1927
- Birthplace
- Baffin Island, Canada
- Died
- 8 January 2013
More people
Kenojuak Ashevak
Kenojuak Ashevak was an Inuk artist known for imaginative birds, animals and flowing graphic forms. Her drawings became prints through the collaborative workshops of Kinngait, formerly Cape Dorset.
Early life
Life on the land
Grew up moving between camps on southern Baffin Island and in Arctic Quebec.
Traditional skills
Learned sewing and other practical crafts from her grandmother.
Career
- 1950s
Drawing and carving
Began experimenting with art alongside her husband Johnniebo.
- 1959
Print collections
Her work appeared in the early Cape Dorset print programme.
- 1966
Move to Cape Dorset
Settled there so her children could attend school.
Selected work
The Enchanted Owl
Created the celebrated owl image later used on a Canadian stamp.
Siilavut, Nunavut
Made a diptych marking the creation of Nunavut.
Stained glass
Designed a window for Appleby College’s John Bell Chapel.
Beyond work
Family collaboration
Worked closely with Johnniebo until his death.
Cultural exchange
Travelled internationally to exhibitions, helping introduce Inuit art to new audiences.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Dorset Fine Arts biography ↗Photo: Ansgar Walk. CC BY-SA 2.5 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
