Rencontre-causerie : Sculpteure contemporaine d'une grande tradition | Ning Ashoona

Artist Talk: Contemporary sculptor of a great tradition | Ning Ashoona

Thursday, May 5, 2022 - 12 to 1 P.M.

As part of the exhibition Ashoona: Enduring Art Stories, La Guilde is pleased to invite sculptor Ning Ashoona for a virtual artist talk. Granddaughter of renowned carver Qaqaq Ashoona and established graphic artist Mayoreak Ashoona, Ning Ashoona is one of the only full-time female carvers based in Kinngait (Cape Dorset, Nunavut). Born in this great family of artists, she presents her biography, as well as the subjects that inspire her work. Whether it is through her sculptures depicting computer desks, elegant loons, or complex transformations, Ning Ashoona explores a variety of traditional and contemporary subjects. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to meet this Kinngait artist whose remarkable mastery is evident in every sculpture!

For those who couldn't attend, here is the video of the artist talk with Ning Ashoona :

Raised on the land of Saturituk on the southern coast of Baffin Island (NU), Ningeosiaq Ashoona has been a professional carver based in Kinngait for almost 25 years. Hailing from a family of master carvers and praised graphic artists, she learned to carve using hand tools by watching her grandparents. In the subjects of her work, she draws inspiration from Arctic wildlife, her childhood on the land, and her daily life. Known for her slender, and delicate loon sculptures, she works with power and hand tools and polishes her soapstone sculptures to a high lustre which gives the impression that the animals just emerged from the water. Her work has been exhibited in Canada, the United States, England and Switzerland, among others, at institutions such as the Albers Gallery of Inuit Art (San Francisco, USA) and the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver (BC).

Photos: (Portrait) © Kuzy Curley ; (Oeuvres) Ning Ashoona, Computer Desk, 2020. ; Ning Ashoona, PITSEOLAK ASHOONA RESTING, 2021. © La Guilde
Video: ARTIST TALK: CONTEMPORARY SCULPTOR OF A GREAT TRADITION | NING ASHOONA, 2022. © La Guilde