Baker Lake’s Kaytlyn Amitnak Niego can just about do it all.
The artist mainly focuses on oil paintings and bead work, but she also sews parkas, adds sealskin accents to clothing, can make sealskin shoes and even knows metal work.
“I started drawing when I was a kid,” said Niego. “It was always a hobby I enjoyed a lot. I’ve been creating art basically my whole life, but only recently did I start to monetize it.”
One subject she loves to focus on in her work is shamanism and spirit helpers. Her favourite piece is a portrait oil painting she made of Serenity, her baby sister. Her second-favourite is a mural in British Columbia she made in 2014.
“I find the Inuit culture very artistic,” said Niego. “I love seeing other young artists emerging. The art community is a very rich and loving one.”
She hopes to see more territory-wide workshops and gatherings for craftspeople, and once the pandemic calms down, she plans to host some of her own.
“I eventually want to become a full-time artist,” said Niego.
Her work can be found on social media under her name.
