The Transplant
$4,200.00
Available
Description
‘The Transplant’ by Shuvinai Ashoona is a 2024 Cape Dorset original coloured pencil and Pentel drawing on paper — a wonderfully quirky, dreamlike scene featuring a massive tentacle monster hybrid walking gracefully along a peaceful landscape.
Condition: No condition noted. Paper surface appears clean and stable.
Description by Artist: No description by artist found.
Notes from DaVic Gallery: ‘The Transplant’ is an incredibly fitting subtitle for this captivating drawing, perfectly highlighting Shuvinai Ashoona’s signature blend of surrealism, gentle humor, and deep imagination.
In the artwork, we see a fascinating hybrid creature with a gracefully drawn female body from the chest down, capped by a massive, twisting purple tentacle monster head. She walks along a vibrant green hillside next to a shimmering blue lake, creating a beautiful contrast between the alien, shifting texture of her form and the peaceful serenity of the landscape.
The storytelling here is wonderfully playful and open to interpretation. In one hand, she cradles a small pine tree with its roots entirely exposed, as if she is carefully carrying it to a new home—a literal and symbolic act of transplanting life. In her other hand, she carries a single blue sock with red trim, matching the one still on her left foot, while her right foot walks completely bare on the grass.
Upon closer inspection, a distinct, fine red scar is visible on the creature’s upper right thigh. This small, grounding physical mark introduces a layer of vulnerability and history to the figure, hinting at past journeys or survival. Shuvinai’s masterly use of colored pencils gives the entire piece a soft, inviting texture, inviting viewers to smile at the whimsical details while reflecting on deeper themes of identity, resilience, and transformation.
The blank sheet of letter‑size (8 ½ × 11 in) paper covering part of the image in the last reference picture is for size comparison, providing an immediate sense of the drawing’s scale and presence.
Copyright:
© DaVic Art Gallery, 2026. All rights reserved. Content may be quoted or reproduced for educational or promotional purposes only with clear attribution to DaVic Art Gallery of Native Canadian Arts and inclusion of the artwork title and artist’s name.