Eleeshushe Parr

Eleeshushe Parr (1896–1975) was a talented artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), NU. She is known for her creation of prints, drawings, sculptures and textile works. She moved with her husband Parr (1893–1969), a prolific printmaker and sculptor/carver, to Kinngait during the 1960s. Several of their children, such as Eepervik, Nuna and Quvianatuliak Parr, and grandson Peter Parr, are all accomplished artists. Parr created 1,160 drawings in total during her life, and over 1,000 of her prints are included in the archives of the Kinngait co-operative studios [1]. 

Between 1966 and 1970, Parr’s drawings were featured in the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection. Across her many works, she often depicted figures, animals and the daily events or activities of residents in her community. Child Dreams of Dogs (1967) highlights her interest in representing various interactions between humans and animals. The child’s large face occupies the majority of space on the page, while two small dogs stand on each shoulder. The child’s arms are crossed neatly in front of them, and the dark, rounded forms of the human and animal figures are emphasized against the pristine white background.

Parr’s artwork has been widely exhibited from 1951 to 2003 in Canada as well as internationally in the United States and Sweden. Her pieces were featured in several notable exhibitions at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, ON, such as “In Cape Dorset We Do It This Way: Three Decades of Inuit Printmaking” (1991-92) and “Strange Scenes: Early Cape Dorset Drawings” (1993). Work is also included in collections of the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Winnipeg, MB, the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, ON and the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, QC.