One of the most striking aspects of Bountiful Bird is the rich sense of materiality in the work, emphasized in the highly-articulated anatomy of this imagined creature. Talons, beaks, and plumage are composed by Kenojuak with great precision, and translated to print by Pootoogook Qiatsuq with equal accuracy to create the splendid and dramatic form of this sublime owl.

The presentation of Bountiful Bird is undeniably reminiscent of the bird in Kenojuak’s iconic Enchanted Owl. The same powerful, surveying eyes meet our gaze with a forceful directness. A grand-feathered tail is stretched behind the body in the same attractive, rhythmic way but any attempt to illustrate the naturalism of a bird has been abandoned in favour of a completely fantastical rendering. In a brilliant and quite comical display of whimsy, Kenojuak depicts the birds’ heads as if they were popping out of sleeves!