Annie PootoogookLife & Work

“The reality shown in Pootoogook’s interiors is that Inuit life, currently, is a meshing of the traditional lifestyle with new ways adopted from the South. Therein lies the fascination of these compositions.”

– Nancy G. Campbell

In 2006 Pootoogook was the recipient of Canada’s Sobey Art Award, an important early career achievement that recognized the artist’s singular vision. The award led to her widespread renown and the inclusion of her work in exhibitions of global contemporary art, such as documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany. Author Nancy Campbell reveals how the strength of Pootoogook’s work speaks not to what she saw but the way she saw it, and how her distinct images of nude women, spiritual encounters, and domestic scenes led the way for the works of many contemporary Inuit artists, such as her award-winning cousin Shuvinai Ashoona.

Copyright Information

Banner Image: Annie Pootoogook, Cape Dorset Freezer (detail), 2005. Collection of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, purchased 2007 (42155). Reproduced with the permission of Dorset Fine Arts.