Despite his near constant presence as a printmaker in the 1990s and 2000s, Arnaqu Ashevak was only an occasional contributor to the Annual Print Collection. His time and skill as a printmaker would prove to give Arnaqu’s work a technical edge above his colleagues, as his understanding of what could be achieved, especially on black paper, made for some spectacular results. In the Wake of the Whale is an almost luminescent view of a scene, either from above with the moon’s reflection in the water, or from below as creatures from the sea float above you. The black paper provides for an endless background, and the details on the creatures are tinged with white moonlight, themselves gently coloured with stenciled greens and blues. There is an inherent sense of calm in this work, and it is beautifully depicted.