Sirena Apak Foo

Sirena Apak Foo is an artist from Ottawa, ON. She specializes in acrylic and oil painting and is mainly self-taught. 

Foo’s mother, Deborah Evaluarjuk, was also an artist. “I remember when I was younger I would watch her paint,” Foo says, explaining “she is the main reason why art is instilled in me.” [1] From a young age Foo would sketch and paint in class or in her free time, and over time creating art became a natural outlet. “I feel like I have a lot going on in my mind and it keeps my mind clear,” she shares. The artist explains that her practice is therapeutic and can communicate in ways that words can’t. While Foo began painting with acrylic, she later began experimenting with oils and would like to continue exploring this medium in the future. 

Nature has a strong presence in Foo’s art and serves as an inspiration. “Being Inuk, we are connected to nature, and it communicates with us,” she explains. “We are born here, and I feel like we should take care of it.” Foo often becomes inspired during meditation sessions, which help generate ideas for future artworks. She also uses female references and shares that the embodiment of feminine energy in her art is a healing thing. “I am inspired by women, especially because we are able to connect on a deeper level with each other and it’s such a good feeling when women are there for each other,” she says, explaining that she aims to celebrate how beautiful women are through her paintings.

Foo has participated in several art events, such as an arts and crafts fair in Russell, ON, in 2022 and an art show in Limoges, ON in September 2023, with plans to participate in art events more frequently in the future. She also has multiple upcoming projects, including some larger canvas works and expanding her artistic practice to tattooing. She has been practicing tattooing on family members using her own sketches as designs, and would like to incorporate tattoo ideas into her paintings as well. “Sketching and painting have always been a way for me to communicate the things I found beautiful, and I want to share that with everyone who would want to receive it,” Foo says about what keeps her going.

This Profile was made possible through support from RBC Emerging Artists.