Ashoona, Untitled (History of Diapers), 2018

Shuvinai Ashoona

Celebrated for her highly detailed drawings and fantastical subject matter, Shuvinai Ashoona is a third-generation Inuit artist living in Kinngait, Nunavut. Her dream-like imagery erases the distinctions between the natural and spirit worlds, and between the real and imagined. Many of the artist’s images highlight the dramatic changes in the North; the shift from life on the land to settled communities and access to popular culture. While many of Ashoona’s drawings contain traditional Inuit motifs, she is best known for the imaginative way that she incorporates these and other cultural references to develop her own sophisticated and highly personal iconography which overturns stereotypical notions of Inuit art. Known for her aerial perspectives and cropped compositions, Ashoona’s carefully executed drawings and prints are often marked by a cinematic sensibility.