Eruoma Awashish

Eruoma Awashish
Born1980 (age 45–46)
Opitciwan, Quebec, Canada
CitizenshipAtikamekw of Opitciwan and Canada
EducationUniversité du Québec à Chicoutimi

Eruoma Awashish (born 1980) is an Atikamekw visual artist from Quebec.

Early life and education

Awashish was born to a Quebecois mother and Atikamekw father. She was born and grew up in Opitciwan, a small community near the Gouin Reservoir in northern Quebec.

Awashish attended the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, where she earned a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary art.

Career

Awashish had her first solo exhibition, entitled Reliques et passages, in 2015 at the Canadian Guild of Crafts in Montreal. 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. The exhibition was revived in Lachine in 2023.

In 2020, Awashish was commissioned to paint a mural at the Musée d’art de Joliette in honor of Joyce Echaquan and her family. 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.

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.

In 2025, Awashish became the first First Nations artist to be a finalist for the MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award.

Public art

From June to October 2023, Awashish was included in the public art exhibition PASSAGES INSOLITES in Quebec.

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.

Awashish is one of several Atikamekw artists who are creating artwork for a new federal building in Shawinigan.

Personal life

Awashish is based out of Pekuakami (Lac-Saint-Jean) as of 2025. She has one daughter.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

Group exhibitions

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Nepton, Caroline (September 3, 2015). "Eruoma Awashish takes T-shirt art on Quebec powwow trail". CBC News. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dapa, Fatoumata (2025-02-18). "Eruoma Awashish primée au MNBAQ 2025". L’Écho de la Tuque (in French). Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  3. 1 2 "Eruoma Awashish". Concordia University. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  4. ↑ King-abadi, Sara (2016-03-02). "Building bridges: Lachine hosts native artist's unique exhibition". Journal Métro (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  5. ↑ "Eruoma Awashish. Mackwisiwin [Strength]". www.museejoliette.org. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  6. 1 2 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.
  7. 1 2 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.
  8. 1 2 "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.
  9. ↑ "The city of Quebec is transformed into an urban art canvas at the tenth annual PASSAGES INSOLITES". Archinect. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ "Of Tobacco and Sweetgrass: Where Our Dreams Are". museejoliette.org. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  13. 1 2 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.