Arnannguaq Høegh (1956– 15 October 2020) was a Greenlandic visual artist whose art was inspired by the country's symbols and nature. Remembered in particular for her graphic works, she was also active in

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and in

abstract painting Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th ...

. From 1991, she ran the college of art (Kunstskolen) in

Nuuk Nuuk (; da, Nuuk, formerly ) is the capital and largest city of Greenland, a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the country's largest cultural and economic centre. The major cities from other co ...

where she exerted significant influence over new generations of Greenlandic artists.

Early life and education

Born in

Qaqortoq Qaqortoq, formerly Julianehåb, is a city in the Kujalleq municipalities of Greenland, municipality in southern Greenland, located near Cape Thorvaldsen. With a population of 3,050 in 2020, it is the most populous town and the municipal capital in ...

in 1956, Arnannguaq Høegh attendeded the Folk High School for Art (Kunsthøjskolen) in

Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).Kinngait Kinngait (Inuktitut meaning "high mountain" or "where the hills are"; Syllabics: ᑭᙵᐃᑦ), formerly known as Cape Dorset until 27 February 2020, is an Inuit hamlet located on Dorset Island near Foxe Peninsula at the southern tip of Baffin ...

workshop on

Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...

(1976), studied at the

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design NSCAD University, also known as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design or NSCAD, is a public art university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university is a co-educational institution that offers bachelor's and master's degrees. The uni ...

(1977), at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dani ...

(1978–79), at the

Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts The Norwegian National Academy of Arts ( no, Statens kunstakademi) is a Norwegian Academy offering studies in the area of Fine Art. The Academy currently offers 3-year bachelor and 2-year MA programmes. The "Norwegian National Academy of the Arts" ...

(1979–81) and the Danish Academy's Pedagogical School (1982–86).

Career

In 1980, Høegh exhibitied her early prints and drawings at Greenland's Aasivik Innuit Festival, some of which had been created while she was at the Kinngait Workshop. Exhibiting sections containing elongated line drawings, the images reflect the influence of

Kenojuak Ashevak Kenojuak Ashevak, (Inuktitut: ᕿᓐᓄᐊᔪᐊᖅ ᐋᓯᕙᒃ, Qinnuajuaq Aasivak), (October 3, 1927 – January 8, 2013) is celebrated as a leading figure of modern Inuit art. Early life and family Kenojuak Ashevak was born in an igloo ...

and

Pudlo Pudlat Pudlo Pudlat (Pudlo), (February 4, 1916 - December 28, 1992) was a Canadian Inuit artist whose preferred medium was a combination of acrylic wash and coloured pencils. His works are in the collections of most Canadian museums. At his death in 1992, ...

but they also demonstrate her own use of firm lines breaking the image into irregular abstract shapes. Like that of other West Coast artists who studied under

Bodil Kaalund Bodil Marie Kaalund-Jørgensen (1930–2016) was an award-winning Danish painter, textile artist and writer, who is remembered above all for her artwork in Danish churches and for her Bible illustrations. She was also a major contributor to the re ...

, her tendencies towards

social realism Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structure ...

can be seen in her interest in details of objects depicting realism, although her later prints seem increasingly abstract. Thanks to her decorative texture, she was nevertheless able to emphasize common aspects of daily life which are frequently ignored. By the 1990s. Høegh was experimenting with techniques including

photogravure Photogravure (in French ''héliogravure'') is a process for printing photographs, also sometimes used for reproductive intaglio printmaking. It is a photo-mechanical process whereby a copper plate is grained (adding a pattern to the plate) and ...

and

photopolymer A photopolymer or light-activated resin is a polymer that changes its properties when exposed to light, often in the ultraviolet or visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. These changes are often manifested structurally, for example hardeni ...

to express notions of realism. This led later to her wider use of photographic references. In 1991, Høegh was appointed head of the Greenlandic Art Collage in Nuuk where she trained generations of new artists while contributing to artwork herself. She also headed Kimik, Greenland's art association. Arnannguaq Høegh died in Nuuk on 15 October 2020 after a lengthy illness.

References

External links

Illustrated essay on Høegh's art work by David W. Norman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoegh, Arnannguaq 1956 births 2020 deaths Greenlandic artists Greenlandic women artists Graphic artists Greenlandic educators People from Qaqortoq