The adopted son of Kenojuak Ashevak, Arnaqu Ashevak was a multidisciplinary artist who went beyond his peers in a constant search for new and inventive ways to combine local materials such a stone, antler, and whalebone, in unique and technically difficult compositions, which referenced both traditional Inuit and Western subject matter. Vase with Arctic Grasses is a superb example of his unique vision, presenting his realistic yet stylish interpretation of something as commonplace as a vase filled with differently shaped grasses.

This work is from a series of sculptures by the artist of flowers and leaves which were meticulous in execution. Vase with Arctic Grasses is an elegant work, with willowy fronds made of antler, placed in a vase made from finely veined green stone. While it may appear simple in concept, it is quite the opposite in technique. The vase is a long-necked and highly polished, graceful vessel. The number and shape of the fronds perfectly balance the holder. Each of these is carved from caribou antler, carefully shaped so that the artist could successfully evoke the fragility of the individual curved fronds. The varying shapes and heights of the grasses finish this serene composition beautifully.

References: For similar compositions of plants or plant-like compositions by the artist see Ingo Hessel, Arctic Spirit: Inuit Art from the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum, (Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre / Phoenix: Heard Museum, 2006), cat. 57 (see text); Christine Lalonde, Inuit Sculpture Now, (Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2005), p. 16; Derek Norton and Nigel Reading, Cape Dorset Sculpture, (Vancouver: Douglas and McIntrye, 2005), p. 114; See also the article on the artist by Patricia Feheley, “A Filtered Vision: The World According to Arnaqu Ashevak” in Inuit Art Quarterly, (Vol. 21, No. 2, Summer 2006), pp. 24-31.