Tunirrusiangit: Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak

Opening June 16 at the Art Gallery of Ontario Tunirrusiangit: Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak explores the enduring legacy of two of the biggest names in Inuit art. Curated by a team of Inuit artists and curators, the exhibition presents a dynamic vision of contemporary Inuit life through 111 drawings, sketches and rare works on paper from both artists. Known as the “grandmother of Inuit art,” Kenojuak Ashevak (1927–2013) is an internationally acclaimed artist, a Companion of the Order of Canada, and the most represented Inuit artist in the AGO’s permanent collection. Her tremendous legacy helped forge a pathway for Inuit artists and inspired her nephew Pitsiulak (1967–2016), who became one of the most sought-after contemporary Inuit artists in his lifetime with his large-scale works, full of humour and impressive detail.

Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak represent two generations of Inuit artists whose blend of magic, realism, and surrealism have challenged viewers to respond to their art and worldview in new ways. The team of curators – Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, Koomuatuk Curley, Taqralik Partridge, and Jocelyn Piirainen – have continued these themes and views with their own artistic responses to the works on view, bringing the legacies of these two artists into the here and now.