Kenojuak Ashevak: Art Projects for Kids
Studying the work of Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak offers kids a creative way to explore art and Inuit culture. Ashevak, known for her bold depictions of Arctic wildlife, inspired two different art projects while we were studying Canada: printmaking and soapstone carving.
Who Was Kenojuak Ashevak?
Kenojuak Ashevak was a renowned Inuit artist from Canada, celebrated for her vibrant prints and drawings featuring Arctic wildlife. Known for her bold lines and striking colors, her work often portrayed imaginative scenes, with The Enchanted Owl being one of her most famous pieces. Ashevak was also skilled in soapstone carving. Her contributions to Inuit art and culture have made her one of Canada’s most influential and iconic artists.
There is no one Inuit word for art. We say it is to transfer something from the real to the unreal.
Kenojuak Ashevak
Kenojuak Ashevak’s Art
To begin our study of Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak, we watched the short film documentary The Enchanted Owl produced by TVO Arts, followed by a short biographical video.
Next, we watched a short montage featuring some of her most iconic artwork.
Kenojuak Ashevak: Art Projects for Kids
Then, we chose to do two different art projects inspired by Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak: a printmaking activity and soapstone carving.
Kenojuak Ashevak: Printmaking Activity for Kids
For our printmaking activity, we used Speedball’s block printing starter kit. Both my kids decided to do a carving of themselves, rather than an animal. First, they drew a sketch on the rubber carving block. I actually cut the one included in the kit in half, so they would each have their own smaller block.
After the completed their sketch, they began to carve away the pieces they didn’t want to show in their print. The kit comes with 3 different cutters in various sizes.
Once they were satisfied with their carving, they loaded up the roller with the black ink that’s included in the kit. Then they rolled it over their block.
Next, they flipped the rubber block over, placing it face down onto a piece of paper. They applied gentle, but firm pressure before lifting it up.
Ta-da! First print complete! Because this was our first time experimenting with print-making, you can see we didn’t apply enough ink and some parts were a little faded.
My kids decided to fill in the lighter parts with a black marker and added a border plus some other fun details.
If you want to more closely emulate the style of Kenojuak Ashevak, you can encourage your children to choose an Arctic bird or animal and use different colored inks as she is known for her vibrant use of color that’s often juxtaposed against black.
Kenojuak Ashevak: Soapstone Carving for Kids
For our next Kenojuak Ashevak-inspired art project, we purchased a StudioStone Creative soapstone carving kit featuring a bear and a wolf. While my kids haven’t finished their carvings yet, they’re excited about shaping the animals. We can’t wait to see how they turn out!
