Kenojuak Ashevak, Audacious Owl
Kenojuak Ashevak
1927-2013
Inuit/Kinngait (Cape Dorset)
Date
1993
Medium Specific
Stonecut/Stencil
Edition / State
70/100
Classification
Print
Dimensions
24 1/2 x 29 in. (62.2 x 73.3 cm)
Accession Number
2017.35.20.79
Credit
Gift of Gloria and Selig Kaplan
Memo / Artist Statement
Throughout Kenojuak Ashevak’s (1927-2013) illustrious career, the owl was a constant source of inspiration. In over 100 different prints, Ashevak captured the inquisitive expressions and majestic grandeur of owls using a wide range of vivid colours. What’s also impressive is the fact that each of these prints has a creative title to describe her hootiful creations.
Look at that owl strut – no wonder Ashevak named this stonecut print the Audacious Owl! Although Ashevak uses more muted colours here compared to her earlier owls, the expansive plumage captures the boldness of this bird.
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iaq-online/30-ways-to-describe-an-owl-according-to-kenojuak-ashevak
Look at that owl strut – no wonder Ashevak named this stonecut print the Audacious Owl! Although Ashevak uses more muted colours here compared to her earlier owls, the expansive plumage captures the boldness of this bird.
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iaq-online/30-ways-to-describe-an-owl-according-to-kenojuak-ashevak
Biography
Kenojuak Ashevak was born in the outpost camp of Ikirasaq, on the southern coast of Baffin Island, to Silaqqi and Ushuakjuk, a hunter, fur trader and respected shaman [1]. Ashevak first learned traditional skills from her grandmother Koweesa and began carving and drawing in her twenties alongside her husband Johnniebo Ashevak (1923–1972), with whom she shared her love of art [2]. While undergoing treatment in southern Canada, Ashevak began to draw to pass the time [3]. Upon returning north and settling in Kinngait (Cape Dorset) with her husband and family, she met James Houston, OC, FRSA (1921–2005) and Alma Houston, who were establishing an arts program and encouraged her to pursue graphic arts through the Co-op. In the late 1960s Ashevak quickly gained recognition for her prints and has since become arguably the most renowned Inuit artist in the world.
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iad/artist-info/bio-citations/Kenojuak-Ashevak
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iad/artist-info/bio-citations/Kenojuak-Ashevak
Date of Bio