Ohito Ashoona
Canadian, 1952
Ohito Ashoona
Disc Number: E7-1304
Accomplished sculptor and occasional printmaker Ohito Ashoona, the son of artists Mayureak and Qaqaq (Kaka) Ashoona, was born in 1952 in Kinngait. He lived a traditional Inuk lifestyle growing up and was taught to carve by his father and his uncle, Kiawak Ashoona. He frequently carves animals and people. In an Inuit Art Foundation biography, Ohito is characterized as “…often presenting his figures in states of intimacy or curiosity. Ohito’s work is also distinguished by his tendency to carve multiple figures, generating imaginative scenes and relationships between figures and animals.”
Ohito’s family briefly moved into Kinngait when he was child, but returned to camp life shortly after. He again moved into Kinngait as an adult in 1981 and became a Level 1 outfitting guide utilizing his experience on the land. This knowledge extends to Ohito’s art practice, evidenced by plentiful sculptures of polar bears and images of life in the north.
In 2002, Ohito received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award (now called Indspire Awards) for visual arts. He has had several solo and numerous group exhibitions of his work, namely at the Marion Scott Gallery, Feheley Fine Arts, and others. Ashoona’s artwork can be found in the collections of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Canada Council Art Bank.
Parents: Qaqaq Ashoona; Mayureak Ashoona
Uncle: Kiawak Ashoona
Grandparent: Pitseolak Ashoona
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/profiles/artist/Ohito-Ashoona
https://indspire.ca/laureate/ohito-ashoona-2/
https://inuit.com/pages/ohito-ashoona
https://imagesboreales.com/en/artist/ohito-ashoona/
https://www.katilvik.com/browse/artists/738-ohito-ashoon
Disc Number: E7-1304
Accomplished sculptor and occasional printmaker Ohito Ashoona, the son of artists Mayureak and Qaqaq (Kaka) Ashoona, was born in 1952 in Kinngait. He lived a traditional Inuk lifestyle growing up and was taught to carve by his father and his uncle, Kiawak Ashoona. He frequently carves animals and people. In an Inuit Art Foundation biography, Ohito is characterized as “…often presenting his figures in states of intimacy or curiosity. Ohito’s work is also distinguished by his tendency to carve multiple figures, generating imaginative scenes and relationships between figures and animals.”
Ohito’s family briefly moved into Kinngait when he was child, but returned to camp life shortly after. He again moved into Kinngait as an adult in 1981 and became a Level 1 outfitting guide utilizing his experience on the land. This knowledge extends to Ohito’s art practice, evidenced by plentiful sculptures of polar bears and images of life in the north.
In 2002, Ohito received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award (now called Indspire Awards) for visual arts. He has had several solo and numerous group exhibitions of his work, namely at the Marion Scott Gallery, Feheley Fine Arts, and others. Ashoona’s artwork can be found in the collections of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Canada Council Art Bank.
Parents: Qaqaq Ashoona; Mayureak Ashoona
Uncle: Kiawak Ashoona
Grandparent: Pitseolak Ashoona
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/profiles/artist/Ohito-Ashoona
https://indspire.ca/laureate/ohito-ashoona-2/
https://inuit.com/pages/ohito-ashoona
https://imagesboreales.com/en/artist/ohito-ashoona/
https://www.katilvik.com/browse/artists/738-ohito-ashoon