Jessie (Una) Oonark, OC, RCA (1906–1985) was born near the Haningayok (Back River), Nunavut and was named after her paternal grandfather, Una. Oonark lived the first fifty years of her life in Utkusiksalingmiut camps throughout the region. She pursued traditional tasks, such as processing and sewing caribou and sealskin to produce clothing. The aesthetic qualities of this work would later influence her depiction of Inuit life in drawings and tapestries.
In the 1950s, Oonark and her family settled in Qamani'tuaq (Baker Lake), NU, due to a decline in both caribou populations as well as the market for arctic fox furs. Oonark first began making drawings in the late 1950s [1]. Her works quickly caught the attention of members of both the Qamani'tuaq and Kinngait (Cape Dorset) art communities. A few short years after beginning her drawing career, several of Oonark’s drawings were included in the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collections of 1960 and 1961, notable, as she did not reside in Kinngait [2].
From her home, and eventually from a small studio in Qamani'tuaq, Oonark’s complex and vivid visual world unfolded. She employed bright colours in her depiction of humans, spirits and animals, creating vibrant works that draw the viewer in through pictorial storytelling. Often Oonark’s visual narratives focus on Inuit women, conveying their strength and power within traditional depictions of domestic activities [3]. Discussing one of Oonark’s early drawings, Robert Enright describes “the whimsical, awkward gestures the figures make", noting that, "the colours in the drawings speak unequivocally about Oonark’s uncompromising celebration of Inuit life” [4]. An apt description of Oonark’s work, which can be applied to her oeuvre in general.
The central figure in her drawing Big Woman (1974) takes up the entirety of the page. The woman’s amautik is represented using striking colours and geometric patterns, complementing the design of her traditional facial tattoos. Two ulus protrude out of either side of her head and seated on top of her head is a second, relatively small figure [5]. Oonark, who was once described as speaking very poetically, said that she depicted her dreams; the realities of Inuit life and the dreamlike world she imagined are both present in Big Woman.
In addition to drawing, Oonark produced wall hangings, one of which hangs in the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa, ON. The tapestry commissioned by Bill and Jean Teron was unveiled in May 1973; it hung in the foyer of the arts centre until 1994 when it was removed to be included in Oonark’s travelling retrospective [6]. When it returned to the NAC, the tapestry was put in storage until 2013 when it was restored and re-hung for public display. Oonark was elected as a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1975 and was inducted as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1984.
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé en partie par le gouvernement du Canada.
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Accomplishments
1977: Honorary member of the Canadian Crafts Council.
1973: Queen Elizabeth II was presented with a wall hanging by Oonark during her visit to the Northwest Territories during her Canadian tour.
1973: Commissioned to make a wall hanging for the lobby of the National Art Centre.
1972: Illustrated I Breathed a New Song, an anthology of Inuit Poetry edited by Richard Lewis.
1969: Wall hanging presented to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, now a permanent feature of the Assembly's Chamber in Yellowknife.
1965: Participated in an experimental graphics workshop in Qamani’tuaq, NU.
Jessie Oonark, OC, RCA (1906–1985), est née près de Back River, au Nunavut, et s’est installée à Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake), au Nunavut, avec ses enfants dans les années 1950. Vers la fin de cette décennie, elle a commencé à faire des dessins qui ont rapidement attiré l’attention des membres des communautés artistiques de Qamani’tuaq et de Kinngait (Cape Dorset), au Nunavut. Quelques années à peine après le début de sa carrière artistique, plusieurs dessins d’Oonark ont été inclus dans les collections annuelles d’estampes de Cape Dorset de 1960 et 1961, suivis de nombreuses estampes dans la collection d’estampes de Baker Lake. Au total, plus de 120 images d’Oonark ont été produites en édition limitée. En plus de ses dessins, Oonark a produit de nombreuses tentures murales vibrantes, reconnaissables à leurs compositions colorées et symétriques. Oonark a été élue membre de l’Académie royale des arts du Canada en 1975 et a été intronisée Officier de l’Ordre du Canada en 1984. Son travail est largement reconnu et fait partie des collections permanentes du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada, à Ottawa, en Ontario, de la Collection McMichael d’art canadien à Kleinburg, en Ontario, de la Galerie d'art de Winnipeg au Manitoba et de bien d’autres.
ᔭᓯ ᐆᓇᒃ, OC, RCA, (1906-1985), ᐃᓅᓂᑯ ᕼᐊᓐᓂᖓᔪᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᑖᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ, ᓄᑕᖃᓂ ᐱᖃᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ 1950ᓂ. ᖁᓕᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑭᓚᒥᓗ ᐱᐅᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᓐᖓᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ, ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᑎᓂ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ. ᐊᓂᒍᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒥᓲᓗᐊᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓵᖅᖢᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᓂ, ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᐆᓇᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑭᓐᖓᐃᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑕᒫᑦ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᐊᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ 1960 ᐊᒻᒪᓗ 1961, ᑭᖑᓂᐊᒍᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᐊᑦᑎᕕᖓᓂ. ᑲᑎᓪᖢᒋᑦ, ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ 120 ᐅᓈᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᖑᐊᖏᑦ ᐅᑯᐊᓗ ᓴᕿᑎᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᓯᖃᔮᓇᑎᒃ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᖅᓯᒪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᑕᖏᑦ, ᐅᓈᒃ ᓴᕿᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᑭᐊᒃᒥᐅᑕᓂᒃ, ᖃᐅᔨᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᖅᓴᖃᐅᑦᑎᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᓕᒧᒌᒃᑕᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ. ᐆᓇᒃ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ 1975 ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓴᓇᔨᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ 1984-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᓴᓇᔭᖏᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᔪᒪᓲᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᐊᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᐋᑐᕚᒥ, ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᐅ, ᒥᒃᒪᐃᑯ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᒐᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᐊᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑭᓕᖕᐳᒃ, ᐋᓐᑎᐅᕆᐅ, ᕕᓂᐲᒃ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᒫᓂᑑᐸᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ.