Additional Images

Provenance:

Private Collection, Winnipeg
Upstairs Gallery, Winnipeg

Literature:

Art Gallery of Ontario, The People Within (1976) exh cat

Exhibited:

Spirits and Dreams: Arts of the Inuit of Baker Lake, The Raven Gallery, Minneapolis, 1979

Note:

As one of the most admired artists from Baker Lake (Qamani’tuaq), Jessie Oonark is recognized as a highly-talented graphic artist, but her most powerful expressions are achieved in her works on cloth. Her imagery is drawn from traditional Inuit life, which she had a strong desire to document.

On one side of this double-sided wall hanging, Oonark depicts a traditional summer scene: three Inuit on kayaks with seasonal tents in the background. Two large birds happily greet the kayakers as they arrive at their campsite. Minimalistic facial profiles and embroidered lines are major design elements of her work, as are symmetrical compositions.

Typical of her oeuvre, these components are also seen on the reverse of this work. In this scene, two rows of heraldic figures greet each other, eleven on each side. There is a subtle break in the lower line of people though - one lone, dramatically-embroidered bird spirit reaching out - a small departure that breaks the symmetry and enlivens the whole textile.

Oonark's wall hangings have a captivating presence. Their size, intensity, and technical brilliance have attracted many fans over the years, and are found in major private collections around the world, with the largest example in the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

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