MAY 5, 2001

INUK ARTIST AGNES NANOGAK DIED

Born November 12, 1925, on the Baillie Islands in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT), her family relocated to Holman, on Queen’s Bay in 1937. In the 1960’s, she joined the newly established printmaking program in Holman and began to create drawings many of which were later transferred into prints. Nanogak’s early works were thematically centered around childhood stories, drum songs, and the Inuit way of life. She is known for her ironic or humorous tone. Nanogak was also famous for her book illustrations for Tales from the Igloo (1972) and More Tales from the Igloo (1986). In 1985, Agnes received an honorary degree from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She died in Ulukhaktok, NWT. In 2002, a year after Nanogak passed away, The Winnipeg Art Gallery hosted a solo exhibition of her works. Her work has been showcased in dozens of international group exhibitions across Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Source:  "Nanogak, Agnes," Canadian Women Artists History Initiative. Concordia University.  Retrieved 7/19/2019, cwahi.concordia.ca/sources/artists/displayArtist.php?ID_artist=5388

Drawing: Agnes Nanogak Goose (1925-2001), 1969.  “Bear Hunt.”  Courtesy of Department of Anthropology Museum, University of California, Davis.  Source: http://anthromuseum.ucdavis.edu/canadian-inuit-art.html