Five Artists on Short List for Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award

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Five artists are on the short list for this year's Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award, which supports the career development of Inuit artists.

They are Billy Gauthier, Maureen Gruben, Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, Kablusiak and Ningiukulu Teevee.

The announcement was made Friday by the Inuit Art Foundation and the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq, which administer the biennial prize, named in honour of Ashevak, a leading Inuit artist who died in 2013.

Stephen Borys, the gallery's director, described this year's finalists as "brilliant, arresting, and in all ways compelling."

The five artists, chosen from a long list of 10 artists, receive $5,000 each, while the winner, to be announced Sept. 22, gets $20,000 and a residency at the gallery.

Watch this short video to hear directly from the artists.

Friday's announcement coincides with the opening of an exhibition by the five finalists titled Anaanatta Unikkaangit (Our Mother’s Stories). 

The winner of the 2021 award, Tarralik Duffy, will complete a residency this summer at the gallery, followed by a solo show, Gasoline Rainbows. 

Gauthier is a sculptor and environmental activist who lives in North West River, N.L. He had a 2019 solo exhibition at The Rooms in St. John’s.

Gruben is an Inuvialuk artist raised in Nunavut. Her work sits at the intersection of installation, performance, textiles and sculpture. She was on the 2021 long list for the Sobey Art Award. 

Kabloona, a multidisciplinary artist from Ottawa, works across media, including knitting, ceramics and prints. In 2022, Kabloona worked with Google to create three Google Pixel wallpapers to celebrate World Indigenous Peoples' Day.  

Kablusiak, an Inuvialuk artist who lives in Calgary, was on the 2019 short list for the Sobey Art Award and the 2021 short list for the Kenojuak Ashevak award. 

Teevee, a graphic artist and author from Nunavut, is best known for reimagining traditional stories. She has had 10 solo shows since 2006.