Mark Emerak, born at the turn of the 20th century, had probably never held a pencil until the mid 1960s. And not being a woman, he would have had no direct knowledge of Northern Copper Inuit clothing manufacture, but clearly, he was fascinated with clothing design. These designs are charged with symbolic meaning, but it may have their aesthetics that interested him more. This image of four women, each standing next to a child, concentrates on the patterns of the Copper Inuit style, with the broad, pointed shoulders, shortened sleeves and high waist, as well as the distinctive style of pants worn by the women of the area. He does not show the equally distinctive narrow back flap of the parka, however [1]. Four Women with Children, translated into a black silhouette image from the artist’s simple graphite line drawing (possibly dating from the 1960s), could be interpreted as Emerak’s tribute to womanhood and fertility, highlighting the diverse roles and valuable contributions that women make to their communities.

1. Emerak’s famous print Women Clothes [sic] from 1968 shows front and back views of women in similar clothing.

References: For details of the artist’s life, see Darlene Wight, Holman: Forty Years of Graphic Art, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2002), p. 23-4. For other examples of the artist’s works where he illustrates the female style of dress, see Women[’s] Clothes, 1968 #36, reproduced in Bernadette Driscoll, The Inuit Amautik: I Like My Hood To Be Full, (Winnipeg: Winnipeg Art Gallery, 1980), cat. 80, p. 65-6 and Helga Goetz, The Inuit Print, international travelling exhibition, (Ottawa: National Museums of Canada and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, 1977), pl. 106, p. 181