Like Luke Anguhadluq’s print, Animals (no. 24 in this exhibition), Jessie Oonark’s Racing Kayaks challenges Western conventions of spatial logic through a dynamic interplay of perspectives, but in a somewhat different way. Oonark’s work presents men in kayaks alongside the skin boats and paddles, all rendered in a “top-down” or nearly cartographic view. Yet, the men themselves are depicted frontally. This fusion of viewpoints reflects a distinctly Inuit tradition of representation—one that prioritizes clarity and understanding over optical realism. By choosing the most "knowable" perspective for each element, Jessie Oonark uses a visual language that conveys essential information, embodying a deeply practical and innovative approach to storytelling through imagery.

Anguhadluq sometimes portrayed kayakers in a similar fashion, yet the “story” here is very different. Anguhadluq was representing caribou hunters; Oonark really does seem to be illustrating—or rather, imagining—a race. We wonder if she was inspired by Olympic rowing events! The kayakers’ paddles are perfectly lined up between the boats, just like the lines of buoys in “southern” competitions! And we love the way some of the paddlers are checking out the competition! Brilliant.