In Shuvinai’s body of work from the second decade of the twenty-first century, surreal elements reveal an increasing freedom in imagery that juxtaposes fantastical monsters, sea creatures, people, and popular culture in rich colour. Composition (Attack of the Tentacle Monsters) shows this to brilliant effect and is at once violent and humorously absurd. There are seldom explanations for Shuvinai’s imaginings; rather, they appear as dramatic stories that delight the artist.

The work showcases the progression and mastery of Shuvinai’s artistic vocabulary. Hers has become a world of the artist’s imaginings that is embedded in her Inuit upbringing and environs but remains singularly her own. Like the Surrealists before her, Shuvinai uses her imagination and free association to produce surprising, unexpected imagery.

This Spotlight is excerpted from Shuvinai Ashoona: Life & Work by Nancy G. Campbell.