Wall hanging – Traditional Inuit Life
The work depicts everyday scenes of traditional Inuit life. Some women carry children in their amauti, a parka with an extended hood and baby pouch; others use their ulu, or all-purpose knife, to prepare fish. Several men head off on dogsled to hunt while others cheer them on. Bears and Arctic foxes lurk on the outer edges of the camp.
The figures appear aligned in four horizontal bands or arranged in quadrants around the central group of seated individuals. Such order and symmetry are typical of Oonark’s compositions, but only a hint of the bright colour she often uses appears here. The minimalistic facial profiles are also generally associated with her work.