Name/Title
Beaded AmautiEntry/Object ID
2020.08.01Description
Elizabeth Enowyak (b.1939, Ennedai Lake, Nunavut) is an Ahiarmiutaq seamstress and textile artist. Enowyak remembers growing up inland and watching her parents hunt foxes and drying their pelts to sell to a nearby trading post. Although she did learn to trap and skin animals to support her family, Enowyak preferred to sew and studied the craft from her two older sisters around the age of five. The three sold their wares to supplement the family’s income, often taking apart and reusing old beadwork for practice and materials to sell.
Enowyak recalls her disappointment with the sale of her sewing. Opting to make things that would be more marketable at the training posts, she focused on generating mittens, dolls, and other handmade items that appealed to southern audiences looking for identifiably Inuit products. The artist notes that she was never fairly compensated for the level of work but said nothing at the time as her family was poor and some income was better than none.
Later in life, Enowyak began selling her textiles to museums and other institutions. Her works are appreciated for their craftsmanship and reflect the history and culture of resilience and adaptation of Inuit artistic practices.Artwork Details
Medium
felt, embroidery floss, fabric, beadsDimensions
Height
71.12 cmWidth
50.8 cm