Mayoreak Ashoona

Artist Bio: Mayoreak Ashoona (b. 1946)

One of the most important Inuit artists, Mayoreak Ashoona was born in South Baffin Island at Saturituk. She married a well-known Inuit carver, Kaka Ashoona. Following Kaka’s early death, moved to Cape Dorset with her children.

Mayoreak began to draw in 1963. She is known for her imaginative and highly coloured graphic work. Her successful career has included exhibitions of her work at galleries all over Canada, as well as in the United States, Germany, and Japan.

In 1986, her work was exhibited in the main exhibit Northern Exposure: Inuit Images of Travel, organized by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

In 1994, she was a featured artist in the exhibition Isumavut: The Artistic Expression of Nine Cape Dorset Women at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Poor health has prevented Mayoreak from drawing during the past few years. She currently lives in Cape Dorset.