Sun's Awakening - Kenojuak Ashevak

The Inuit Gallery of Vancouver is pleased to offer an exclusive release of the spectacular new print SUN’S AWAKENING.  From her earliest efforts in the medium of prints Kenojuak Ashevak’s imagery has been recognized as iconic with both Inuit and Canadian identity and the sun has figured prominently in her repertoire of images.

For the Inuit, the winter solstice marked the point at which the ever shorter days stopped being so.  If above the Arctic Circle the sun had disappeared, if below then it had hung suspended in the sky, perhaps frozen by the depth of the Arctic cold.  This time of year was marked with special rituals and festivities.  The kudlik, the stone lamp, might be extinguished and relit to signify the beginning of a new year.  The cup and pin game known as “ajagaq” might be played to encourage the sun to come higher.  For the Inuit the return of daylight and the lengthening days brought more game and easier times for the hunters and the people they feed.

SUN’S AWAKENING evokes many happy feelings, one being the warmth of its colours radiating to the viewer.  This large and complex print was created on two plates using the technique of a sugar lift, etching and aqua tint and then hand colouring.  A collaborative effort between Kenojuak, master print maker Paul Machnik and then hand painted by Beatriz Sobrado Samano, making each one quite unique.  A small edition of 25 adds to the exclusivity of this offering.

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