Name/Title
Composition (Building A House)Entry/Object ID
2008.01.01Description
Shuvinai Ashoona (b. 1961) is a third-generation Inuit artist from Kinngait, Nunavut (formerly Cape Dorset). Her father, Kiugak Ashoona (1933-2014), was a master sculptor and youngest son of internationally renowned Inuit artist Pitseolak Ashoona (1904-1983) as well as maternal uncle of Annie Pootoogook (1969-2006).
Ashoona was born the eldest of 14 children. She was one of the first generations of students to attend primary school in the recently established settlement of Cape Dorset and planned to attend high school in Iqaluit, however, the move was brief. During the latter part of her teens, Ashoona's family moved to remote outposts. The artist remembers living a more traditional Inuit way of life and gaining respect and admiration for the land that supported her family.
Working mainly in drawing and print, Ashoona is known for her playful and personal imagery and vibrant compositions that range from depicting daily life in Kinngait to visions of a future fighting other-worldly creatures. Her art navigates past and present relationships between nature and humanity as well as Inuk identity to convey diversity and changes in the community and landscape.
Ashoona was the first artist collected by the Medcan Art Collection.Artwork Details
Medium
ink, pencil on paper