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TORONTO — The West Baffin Cooperative has announced that celebrated Inuit artist Shuvinai Ashoona will represent Canada at the 36th Bienal de São Paulo, one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art exhibitions. Running from September 6, 2025, to January 11, 2026, the Bienal is curated by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung under the theme “Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice.”
Ashoona will exhibit alongside fellow Canadian artists Camille Turner (Pods for Dreaming) and Hajra Waheed (The Spiral).
“We are thrilled to support Shuvinai Ashoona’s participation in this international platform,” said Pauloosie Kowmageak, President of the West Baffin Cooperative. “Her work not only showcases her creative vision but also shares the rich history and narratives of Kinngait art with global audiences.”
A Bold Voice in Contemporary Inuit Art
For more than two decades, Ashoona has been at the forefront of Inuit contemporary art, working from her home community of Kinngait, Nunavut. Known for her large-scale, imaginative drawings, she fuses traditional Inuit culture with surreal, futuristic, and fantastical elements. This blending of worlds challenges conventional views of Indigenous art while carving out new spaces for self-representation and artistic freedom.
Mentorship and Global Reach
A longtime member of the West Baffin Cooperative, Ashoona works out of Kinngait Studios, where she also mentors emerging Inuit artists. Her participation in the Bienal highlights the depth and diversity of Canadian art on the global stage.
“The vibrant work of Shuvinai, Camille, and Hajra at this year’s Bienal reflects the richness of Canadian creativity,” said Anouk Bergeron-Laliberté, Acting Consul General of Canada in São Paulo. “Shuvinai’s presence underscores the profound impact of Canadian Indigenous art internationally.”
An Artist with an International Profile
Ashoona’s work has been exhibited in major venues worldwide, including the National Gallery of Canada’s landmark 2013 exhibition Sakahàn: International Indigenous Art. Her drawings are held in the collections of the Art Gallery of Ontario, National Gallery of Canada, and Vancouver Art Gallery, among others.
Represented by Marion Scott Gallery (Vancouver) and Feheley Fine Arts (Toronto), Ashoona has also collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Shary Boyle (2015) and John Noestheden (2008), cementing her reputation as one of Canada’s most innovative and influential contemporary artists.
