Artist Info
Marjorie Esa
Marjorie Esa is a talented graphic artist from Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), NU. Born at Nuqsarhaarjuk camp near Iglulik in 1934, Esa was adopted as an infant by Louis Tapatai and Hannah Siksik. Tapatai worked with Hudson Bay Company traders and Esa grew up around both Inuit traditions and settler influences. In the 1950s, Esa was one of the first artists to become involved in Qamani’tuaq art production.
Esa began her artistic pursuits with soapstone sculpture and wool duffel wall-hangings, although her favourite medium was drawing. Developing her own graphic style, Esa’s drawings are among the most naturalistic of the early works created in Qamani’tuaq. She mostly works with coloured pencil, subtly blending one colour into another.
A number of Esa’s drawings have been made into prints produced at the Baker Lake (Sanavik) Co-operative between 1971 and 1990 and Esa herself was also involved in the printmaking shop, aiding in the production of the 1983-1984 print collection. Esa’s works have been exhibited across Canada.
