Kenojuak Ashevak was born in the outpost camp of Ikirasaq, on the southern coast of Baffin Island on the 3rd of October, 1927. As a very bright and talented child, she first learned traditional skills from her grandmother Koweesa and began carving and drawing in her twenties, alongside her husband Johnniebo Ashevak. The both of them shared a deep love for the arts, and worked on many pieces together.

Ashevak has been a part of exhibitions all over the world, ranging from the Americas to Asia. Her achievements are numerous and include the 1963 National Film Board production Eskimo Artist: Kenojuak, the Order of Canada in 1967, a Companion to the Order of Canada in 1982 and the Governor General’s Award in Visual Arts in 2008. Dorset Fine Arts describes her to be '...one of Canada’s most acclaimed graphic artists.'

Kenojuak Ashevak created some of the most iconic and instantly recognizable images in Canadian art. She is the most well-known Inuk artists, and has opened the door for so many indigenous artists in her region. Her art maintained and popularized many indigenous practices and allowed indigenous voices to be heard.