The Enchanted Owl, a stonecut print released in 1960, established Kenojuak Ashevak as a pivotal figure in modern Inuit art. Over a career spanning five decades, she explored diverse creative mediums ranging from soapstone sculpture to intricate etching and lithography, consistently seeking new techniques to translate her intuitive perception of shapes and vivid color palettes into lasting visual statements.
Early Development and Traditional Life
Born in 1927 at Camp Kerrasak on southern Baffin Island, Ashevak grew up within a semi-nomadic hunting tradition. Her father, Ushuakjuk, served as a local hunter and an angakkuq, or shaman, before his death in 1933. Following this loss, she resided with her grandmother, Koweesa, where she developed foundational skills in preparing seal skins and sewing garments with caribou sinew. At age 19, she entered a marriage with Johnniebo Ashevak, a hunter who would later collaborate with her on various artistic projects.
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Between 1952 and 1955, Ashevak was hospitalized at Parc Savard in Quebec City while battling tuberculosis. During this period of isolation, she encountered Harold Pfeiffer, who provided instruction in beadwork and doll making. James Archibald Houston, a civil administrator and promoter of Inuit art, recognized the potential in her craft and encouraged her to pursue professional artistic output. This recovery period marked the beginning of her transition into graphic arts.
Professional Expansion and Recognition
Ashevak became one of the first women in Cape Dorset to engage in professional drawing. She worked across various media, including colored pencils, felt-tip pens, and acrylics, while also creating soapstone carvings. Her design portfolio extended to stained glass, notably the window she created for the John Bell Chapel in 2004. Her stature in Canadian culture was cemented through honors such as her 1982 induction as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the Order of Nunavut, and multiple honorary doctorates.
Institutional Legacy
The reach of her work extended into the national consciousness through its application on Canadian postage stamps, coins, and currency. In 2017, the Bank of Canada featured her print Owl's Bouquet on a commemorative 150th-anniversary banknote. Ashevak lived in Kinngait until her death in 2013, maintaining a career that bridged traditional Inuit practices with contemporary international art markets. Her contributions remain archived within the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and the Kinngait Co-operative.
Fast facts
- Born: 1927, Baffin Island
- Died: 2013, Kinngait
- Citizenship: Canada
- Known for: The Enchanted Owl (1960)
- Professional Member: Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
- Primary Award: Companion of the Order of Canada (1982)
- Mediums: Soapstone, stone cut, lithography, etching, stained glass
- Language: Inuktitut
Questions readers ask
What was Kenojuak Ashevak's most famous work?
Her most recognized piece is the 1960 stonecut print titled The Enchanted Owl.
Which major honors did she receive?
She was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1982, received the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts, and was the first Inuk artist inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Achievements
- Companion of the Order of Canada — 1982
- Order of Nunavut
- Movement: Inuit art
