Eruoma Awashish (born 1980) is an Atikamekw visual artist from Quebec.
Eruoma Awashish | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980 (age 44–45) Opitciwan, Quebec, Canada |
| Alma mater | Université du Québec à Chicoutimi |
Early life and education
editAwashish was born to a Quebecois mother and Atikamekw father.[1] She was born and grew up in Opitciwan, a small community near the Gouin Reservoir in northern Quebec.[1][2]
Awashish attended the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, where she earned a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary art.[3]
Career
editAwashish had her first solo exhibition, entitled Reliques et passages, in 2015 at the Canadian Guild of Crafts in Montreal.[1] She also began printing some of her art on t-shirts, as a way to make her art both more accessible to her community and as a way to make a living.[1] The exhibition was revived in Lachine in 2023.[4]
In 2020, Awashish was commissioned to paint a mural at the Musée d’art de Joliette in honor of Joyce Echaquan and her family.[5][6] Awashish has also painted a portrait of Echaquan, which has been used in relation with demands to reform Quebec's healthcare system to better care for indigenous patients.[6]
In her March 2024 exhibition, Kakike Ickote – Feu éternel, Awashish explored the impact of Catholicism on First Nations communities, reappropriating Catholic iconography and symbols for a First Nations context.[7]
In 2025, Awashish became the first First Nations artist to be a finalist for the MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award.[8]
Public art
editFrom June to October 2023, Awashish was included in the public art exhibition PASSAGES INSOLITES in Quebec.[9]
From January to March 2025, Les Fabuloscopes, a piece by Awashish and La Camaraderie, was installed as part of Lumino, a series of outdoor art exhibits in Montreal.[10]
Awashish is one of several Atikamekw artists who are creating artwork for a new federal building in Shawinigan.[11]
Personal life
editAwashish is based out of Pekuakami (Lac-Saint-Jean) as of 2025.[2] She has one daughter.[2]
Exhibitions
editSolo exhibitions
edit- Reliques et passages (2015, Canadian Guild of Crafts)[1]
- Montreal Fine Arts Museum (late 2017-early 2018)[3]
- Kakike Ickote – Feu éternel (March 2024, Galerie d'art du Parc, Trois-Rivières)[7]
Group exhibitions
edit- Of Tobacco and Sweetgrass: Where Our Dreams Are (2019, Musée d’art de Joliette)[12]
- "Nimisak otci / Pour mes sœurs" in MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award exhibition (February-April 2025, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec)[2][13]
Awards
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Nepton, Caroline (September 3, 2015). "Eruoma Awashish takes T-shirt art on Quebec powwow trail". CBC News. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Dapa, Fatoumata (2025-02-18). "Eruoma Awashish primée au MNBAQ 2025". L’Écho de la Tuque (in French). Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ a b "Eruoma Awashish". Concordia University. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ King-abadi, Sara (2016-03-02). "Building bridges: Lachine hosts native artist's unique exhibition". Journal Métro (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-24.
- ^ "Eruoma Awashish. Mackwisiwin [Strength]". www.museejoliette.org. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b Page, Julia (June 10, 2021). "Honouring Joyce Echaquan's legacy through art, music and a movement for change across Quebec". CBC News. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b Painchaud, Alexandre (2024-03-04). "L'art autochtone d'Eruoma Awashish à l'honneur à Trois-Rivières". Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ a b "Eruoma Awashish, première Autochtone finaliste au Prix en art actuel du MNBAQ | OHdio | Radio-Canada". ici.radio-canada.ca (in French). Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ "The city of Quebec is transformed into an urban art canvas at the tenth annual PASSAGES INSOLITES". Archinect. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ SPECTACLES, PARTENARIAT DU QUARTIER DES (2025-01-10). "LUMINO: SHINING BRIGHT AND TRANSFORMING WINTER IN MONTREAL FOR 15 YEARS". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ Canada, Public Services and Procurement (2025-07-23). "Integrating Atikamekw culture into the architectural design of the new federal building in Shawinigan". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ "Of Tobacco and Sweetgrass: Where Our Dreams Are". museejoliette.org. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b Québec, Musée national des beaux-arts du. "The 2025 MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award - A fascinating group exhibition showcases the five prize-winners". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2025-08-10.