This work is a striking example of the more intricate drawing style of Kenojuak’s later career. Throughout the 1990s, artists in Kinngait were becoming increasingly intrigued with developing their own personal graphic styles even as collectors in the south were becoming more interested in original drawings in addition to prints. The works from Kenojuak in this period show the development of more complex compositions.

While Composition with Arctic Hares, Wolves, and Birds has the artist’s characteristic symmetry, the various elements have become more complicated and serpentine than in her earlier drawings. The heads of the animals and birds appear in profile and are linked by extravagant, stylized strands that envelop the whole composition. These are ornamented with bright orange orbs that create a striking contrast to the black ink, unifying and enlivening the image. The subject matter becomes more expansive as well; birds and wolves appeared in her drawings frequently; here they are supplemented by Arctic hares. Innovative and modern though this image may be, perhaps it’s partly because of the hares that we can’t help but see echoes of Kenojuak’s very first print, Rabbit Eating Seaweed.