Kinngait Studios have long been acclaimed for their standout printmaking program. However, only recently has their hand-printed textile initiative from the 1950s and 60s in Cape Dorset garnered the recognition it deserves.

As with the prints produced in the same era, the textiles reveal a diverse array of inspirations and influences, namely, the Inuit graphic tradition, the preferences of the southern art market, the dominant graphic design sensibilities of the time, and the influence of Japanese block and stencil printing.

In this work, likely a test print by Sorosiluto Ashoona, we see a celebration of Arctic avian fauna.

While their arrangement may appear spontaneous at first glance, the artist’s deliberate design becomes evident on close inspection. Each flaxen-coloured feathered figure is meticulously positioned in a choreographed pattern that fills the linen ground. If the primary requirement of a pattern is to hold the eye, this design’s allure stems from its order; even when it appears to be random, there's uniformity in its irregularity. Sorosolitu's fabric is subtly representational. While the figures are unmistakably birds, they are presented as flat golden silhouettes with organically flowing plumage, giving the design an unusually cerebral quality and feel of abstraction.