Shawn O’Hagan: The Child in Me

“In my art, I'm trying to get to the heart of things, the way children do.”
- Shawn O'Hagan

Shawn O’Hagan’s book illustrations grow from the place where childhood and imagination meet. Trained as a visual artist, she entered the world of children’s literature in 1979, when poet Al Pittman invited her to illustrate One Wonderful Fine Day for a Sculpin Named Sam—a milestone at a time when Canadian picture books were still uncommon. Over the next decade, she illustrated eight children’s books, including Brenda Silsbe’s Just One More Colour and John Steffler’s Flights of Magic, the latter earning her a Governor General’s Award nomination. Her final picture book before returning full-time to her studio practice, Robert Munsch’s Get Me Another One!, was based on a story first told by Newfoundland child Kristi Parsons.

For O’Hagan, children’s ways of seeing—curious, direct, and open to wonder—have always been a creative compass. The exhibition follows this thread through her illustration work, celebrating an artist attuned to what feels alive and full of possibility.

About the artist

Shawn O'Hagan (b. 1950, Toronto) has been based in Ktaqmkuk (the island of Newfoundland) since 1975. She divides her time between her house in Corner Brook and her cabin in Elmastukwek (the Bay of Islands).

Shawn has a BFA (University of Guelph), a B.Ed. (University of Toronto) and an MFA (University of Waterloo). With a focus on textiles for the past 20 years, she has worked with a wide range of materials and processes. Shawn has participated in solo and group exhibitions across Canada, and her work is in many collections, including the Canada Council Art Bank. In 2023, she was nominated for the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in Craft and received the VANL-CARFAC Excellence in Visual Arts Tara Bryan Endurance Award.


Image: Shawn O’Hagan. Untitled (Illustration for "Flights of Magic" by John Steffler) (1987). Acrylic and ink on paper. The Rooms.