Kenojuak Ashevak, INUIT, Smiling Woman, 1966

Lot description

KENOJUAK ASHEVAK, C.C., R.C.A. (1927-2013) KINNGAIT (CAPE DORSET) Smiling Woman, 1966 stone, 8 x 6 x 3.5 in (20.3 x 15.2 x 8.9 cm) signed, "ᑭᓄᐊᔪᐊ". Provenance Ex. Coll. Terrance "Terry" Ryan, Toronto/Kinngait (Cape Dorset); Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto; Acquired from the above by John & Joyce Price, Seattle. Smiling Woman by Kenojuak Ashevak, dated to 1966, first found a home in the collection of Terry Ryan and later in the prestigious Price Collection, an indicator of its quality. This somewhat smaller-scale work is a compelling example of the artist’s exploration of sculptural form, depicting a human subject, a woman in an amautiq, an atypical but welcome departure from Ashevak’s ubiquitous, if gorgeous, bird depictions. Here, Kenojuak reduces the figure to a few assured forms, yet loses none of its presence. The woman’s body is gathered into a compact, rounded silhouette, her parka rising around her in a sweeping curve that cups the face and gives the whole sculpture a tender, sheltering air. That enclosing contour is especially beautiful: at once solid and graceful, it gives the work a clarity that feels almost drawn, recalling the bold, simplified outlines so central to Ashevak’s graphic imagination. Within this enclosing form, the woman’s features are pared down to the minimum, yet remain remarkably expressive. The eyes are lightly marked and evenly set, while the nose and mouth are shaped with great economy. Together, they give the face an open, contented expression that lends the sculpture both warmth and poise. PF Reference: For another similar work, see Feheley Fine Arts, The Ryan Collection, (Toronto: Feheley Fine Arts, 1998), no cat. no, p. 38.